You open a notice you did not expect, or a bank text you cannot explain. Your pulse jumps. The next hour matters less than the next few clear actions, so start with a short list and a pen.

What a fraud alert is for

A fraud alert is one of two ways to protect your credit reports after identity theft. The other is a security freeze. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lists an alert or freeze as one step on a longer list. That list also includes closing compromised accounts and reporting the theft. The CFPB page treats the alert as one part of a response, not a cure.

That framing matters. An alert on your reports does nothing about a card that was already opened or a bank login that was already sold. It guards one door. Other doors still need attention, and you will have to walk to each of them.

The steps the CFPB lists

The CFPB names four actions for victims of identity theft. The retrieved text cuts off, so I cannot promise this is the full list or that the agency intends this exact sequence. Treat it as a sensible starting point and not a complete script.

  1. Contact one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. The CFPB says any one of them can place an alert or freeze.
  2. Close affected accounts. Call the security or fraud department at each financial institution involved.
  3. Report the theft to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. The CFPB says this produces an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan that walks you through next steps.
  4. Consider a local police report. The CFPB recommends this too.
Sunlit kitchen table with an open laptop and a handwritten checklist on a yellow legal pad beside a cup of coffee, as someone works through steps after suspected identity theft.
A person at a kitchen table with a laptop and a handwritten checklist of accounts to close and calls to make after suspected identity theft.

One habit helps no matter which step you take first. Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and any reference number. Identity theft cleanups can involve many calls. A simple log on a legal pad saves you from repeating yourself and gives you something to point to later.

Placing the alert with a bureau

Experian and Equifax both publish pages on placing a fraud alert. Here is the Experian page and here is the Equifax page. Equifax also covers active duty alerts. The text I could retrieve from both was mostly menus and headings. It did not include the actual steps, the personal details you must provide, or how a bureau verifies that you are who you say you are.

So I will not describe the form field by field. Open the official page, follow what it shows today, and expect to confirm your identity. Do not use a link from an email or text to get there. Type the address yourself or use the links above.

The CFPB says one contact is enough to start. Whether that bureau passes your request to the other two is not answered in the text I retrieved. Check the bureau page for that wording before you assume anything either way. If the page does not say, plan to contact each bureau on your own.

Questions to settle before you finish

Some answers were not in the sources I could retrieve. I would rather flag them than guess. These are worth confirming on the official pages before you rely on them.

  • How long an alert lasts, and how renewal works. Experian lists "Do fraud alerts expire?" as a question, but the answer did not come through.
  • Whether an alert costs anything, and whether a freeze does.
  • How an alert affects credit scores or new applications for credit.
  • The rules for extended alerts and active duty alerts.

These are basic questions, and the bureaus and the FTC should answer them plainly. Read the answers on the day you act, because policies and wording can change. A friend's story from three years ago is not a reliable source.

Alert or freeze: where to look

Both bureaus list the difference between an alert and a freeze as a topic. The FTC has a page titled Is a credit freeze or fraud alert right for you? and a general page on credit freezes and fraud alerts. The excerpts I retrieved did not include the explanations, so I cannot tell you which one fits your case.

Here is a practical way to decide. Read the FTC page first, since it is written for consumers and not for a sales funnel. Then read the matching bureau page. Look for four things: what each option does, how long it lasts, what it costs, and what it means the next time you apply for credit. If the two pages disagree, trust the date and the official source, and call the bureau to ask.

Spotting scams while you act

Identity theft attracts a second wave of crooks. They know you are rattled. The CFPB lists these red flags:

  • A caller or message claims to be the FTC and says your information was used to open accounts.
  • Someone demands you move money to "protect" it.
  • Someone asks you to withdraw cash or buy gold and hand it over.
  • A message claiming to be your bank or card company pushes you to use a phone number or link it supplies.

The FTC never threatens you, never asks you to transfer money to protect it, and never asks you to withdraw cash or buy gold. Any such request is a scam. For banks and card issuers, find the official website or the number on your card yourself, and call that. Hang up on the rest, even if the caller already knows part of your address.

This is general education, not advice for your situation. If the stakes are high, the official sources above are the place to check details.