Fraud & identity theft

Discover how to safeguard your financial and personal information to protect against fraud and identity theft.

Cybersecurity

Data breach

Fraud alert

Prevention

Security freeze

Dispute

Report advice

Score advice

Editors' picks

Smiling woman standing in a modern kitchen and using a smartphone near a window.

Credit Freeze and Credit Lock: What’s the Difference?

By Jim Akin

Sep 25, 2026Security freeze

A man wearing glasses and a blue shirt looks at his laptop computer while sitting at his office.

What Is a Credit Freeze?

By Jim Akin

Sep 22, 2026Security freeze

Mature woman shows some paperwork to her partner who seems concerned

Here’s What You Should Do After a Data Breach

By Jim Akin

Sep 22, 2026Data breach

Concerned young woman seated on a blue sofa in a living room, looking at a smartphone while holding a receipt or bill. An open laptop, paperwork, and a notebook sit on a coffee table in front of the sofa, with bookshelves and home furnishings visible in the background.

What’s the Difference Between Phishing, Smishing and Vishing?

By Emily Cahill

Sep 1, 2026Cybersecurity

Smiling young woman seated at a table using a laptop in a bright living room, with a smartphone and a glass of orange juice on the table. Large windows, indoor plants, and a light-colored sofa are visible in the background.

How to Keep Your Social Security Number Safe

By John Egan

Aug 13, 2026Prevention

A man with his hand to his face and his credit card in his other hand. frowns while looking at his computer screen.

Do Fraud Alerts Expire?

By Louis DeNicola

Aug 3, 2026Fraud alert

Concerned man sitting at a table in a home setting, working on a laptop with one hand on the keyboard and the other resting on their forehead, with shelves and household items visible in the background.

How to Check for Identity Theft

By Marianne Hayes

Jul 27, 2026Prevention

A mother and a teenage daughter sitting on the floor in the living room and using a laptop

What Do I Do if My Child’s Data Was Exposed in a Data Breach?

By Karen Axelton

May 13, 2026Data breach

A stressed man sitting at a table looking at papers and his laptop while a woman holding a baby looks at him with sympathy.

What to Do If Your Child’s Identity Is Compromised

By Stefan Lembo Stolba

May 8, 2026Data breach

Take action with these tools

Identity theft protection

Identity theft protection and fraud detection for you and your family.

Compare plans

Security freeze

Limit access to your Experian credit report.

Fraud alert

Add or remove a fraud alert on your Experian credit file.

Free dark web scan

Scan for your Social Security number, email and phone number.

Free personal privacy scan

Check your info and reduce your risk of hacking, spam and robocalls.

Free credit report

Get access to your free Experian credit report and FICO^® Score^Θ.

Free credit monitoring

Stay on top of your credit and monitor your spending.

What others are reading

Young man showing his mobile phone to his friend on stairs outdoors.

How to Freeze Your Credit at All 3 Credit Bureaus

Learn how to freeze and unfreeze your credit reports at Experian, TransUnion and Equifax f...

By Louis DeNicola

Sep 22, 2026Security freeze

How to Unfreeze Your Credit Report at All 3 Credit Bureaus

By Ben Luthi

Oct 10, 2025Security freeze

Identity Theft Victim Assistance

By Karen Axelton

Jan 27, 2026Fraud & identity theft

How to Temporarily Lift a Security Freeze

By Ben Luthi

Aug 26, 2025Security freeze

5 Steps to Take if Someone Opens a Credit Card in Your Name

By Louis DeNicola

Jan 23, 2025Fraud & identity theft

What to Do if Your Information Is Found on the Dark Web

By Louis DeNicola

Apr 3, 2026Fraud & identity theft

The latest from our experts

How to Remove Your Information From People Search Sites

You can contact people search websites and ask them to remove information about you. Some ...

By Kim Porter

Sep 30, 2026Prevention

11 Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media

Setting your profile to private and using multifactor authentication are two ways to stay ...

By Emily Batdorf

Sep 28, 2026Fraud & identity theft

5 Steps to Take After Identity Theft

Dealing with identity theft can be frustrating, but you can follow this guide for step-by-...

By Louis DeNicola

Sep 28, 2026Fraud & identity theft

10 Warning Signs of Identity Theft

Watch for these signs that your identity may have been stolen and learn the follow-up step...

By Jim Akin

Sep 28, 2026Fraud & identity theft

5 Identity Theft Protection Tools and Measures You Can Use

What you need to know about how identity theft happens, how to spot it and what to do if y...

By Louis DeNicola

Sep 25, 2026Prevention

What Are the Unexpected Costs of Identity Theft?

Experiencing identity theft can cause stress, isolation and a loss of trust. Reaching out ...

By Gayle Sato

Sep 22, 2026Fraud & identity theft

Who Is Notified When Your Credit File Is Frozen?

If your credit file is frozen, a lender will be alerted to that when trying to access your...

By Jennifer White

Sep 22, 2026Security freeze

How to Lock Your Credit

A credit lock lets you block and unblock access to your credit file, quickly, anytime you ...

By Jim Akin

Sep 22, 2026Prevention

When Should You Lock Your Credit?

If your personal information was stolen, setting up a credit lock right away can help you ...

By Sarah Brady

Sep 22, 2026Prevention

How Can I Fix My Credit After Credit Card Fraud?

If you’re a victim of credit card fraud, it’s important to take steps immediately to repor...

By Ben Luthi

Sep 15, 2026Fraud & identity theft

How Common Is Credit Card Fraud?

Credit card fraud is the most common type of identity theft, but you can take steps to sto...

By Ben Luthi

Aug 31, 2026Fraud & identity theft

Is It Safe to Borrow Money From Strangers Online?

Borrowing money from strangers online generally isn't a good idea, so here are a few alter...

By Louis DeNicola

Aug 26, 2026Cybersecurity

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Auto Insurance Advice

Fraud & identity theft

Cybersecurity

Data breach

Fraud alert

Prevention

Security freeze

Dispute

Report advice

Score advice

Editors' picks

Credit Freeze and Credit Lock: What’s the Difference?

What Is a Credit Freeze?

Here’s What You Should Do After a Data Breach

What’s the Difference Between Phishing, Smishing and Vishing?

How to Keep Your Social Security Number Safe

Do Fraud Alerts Expire?

How to Check for Identity Theft

What Do I Do if My Child’s Data Was Exposed in a Data Breach?

What to Do If Your Child’s Identity Is Compromised

Take action with these tools

Identity theft protection

Security freeze

Fraud alert

Free dark web scan

Free personal privacy scan

Free credit report

Free credit monitoring

What others are reading

How to Freeze Your Credit at All 3 Credit Bureaus

How to Unfreeze Your Credit Report at All 3 Credit Bureaus

Identity Theft Victim Assistance

How to Temporarily Lift a Security Freeze

5 Steps to Take if Someone Opens a Credit Card in Your Name

What to Do if Your Information Is Found on the Dark Web

The latest from our experts

How to Remove Your Information From People Search Sites

11 Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media

5 Steps to Take After Identity Theft

10 Warning Signs of Identity Theft

5 Identity Theft Protection Tools and Measures You Can Use

What Are the Unexpected Costs of Identity Theft?

Who Is Notified When Your Credit File Is Frozen?

How to Lock Your Credit

When Should You Lock Your Credit?

How Can I Fix My Credit After Credit Card Fraud?

How Common Is Credit Card Fraud?

Is It Safe to Borrow Money From Strangers Online?