Placing a fraud alert on your credit reports will reduce the risk that someone can open new accounts in your name. The fraud alert will stay on your credit file for 90 days, and you can renew it if you need to. A fraud alert won’t stop someone using an existing card or account, but it will make it difficult for someone to get new credit in your name.
To place a fraud alert on your credit file, contact one of these credit reporting agencies:
When you place a fraud alert with one of these agencies, they must contact the other two agencies and tell them about the fraud alert.