How a Security Freeze Protects You From Identity Theft

How can a security freeze help protect me from identity theft? In short: a security freeze — also called a credit freeze — prevents prospective creditors from accessing your credit file, and creditors typically will not extend new credit when they cannot see a credit report. That makes a freeze one of the most direct ways to stop an identity thief from opening a new credit account in your name.

This guide is for Colorado borrowers who want to lock down their credit information — whether you just got a data breach notice, you are protecting a child’s credit, or you are a Colorado Springs service member preparing for a PCS move. Everything here comes from guidance published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Security freeze at a glance

• A credit freeze blocks new creditors from seeing your credit report, so new accounts generally cannot be opened in your name.
• Freezes are free by federal law at all three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
• You must contact each of the three credit bureaus separately to freeze your credit.
• A freeze does not impact your credit scores in any way.
• You can temporarily lift a freeze for free whenever you need to apply for new credit.
• Parents and guardians can freeze a child’s credit as a “protected consumer.”

With the basics in view, here is exactly how the protection mechanism works.

How can a security freeze help protect me from identity theft?

Identity thieves open new credit accounts using stolen personal details — a Social Security number, a date of birth, a driver’s license number. To approve that application, the lender pulls a credit report.

A security freeze cuts off that step. While the freeze is in place, prospective creditors cannot access your credit file, and creditors typically won’t offer credit when they can’t see the file.

So even if a thief has your Social Security number from a data breach, the application stalls. No credit report, no lending decision, no new account in your name.

The trade-off is simple: freezing your credit blocks everyone, including you. You will need to unfreeze your file before you can open new accounts in your own name. Next, let’s look at who can still see a frozen file.

What a credit freeze actually does to your credit file

A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report, but it does not seal it off completely. According to the CFPB, a limited set of entities can still see your file while the freeze is in place.

Those include creditors for accounts you currently hold, certain government entities such as child support agencies, and companies you have hired to monitor your credit file.

You can also request, see, and review your own credit reports while frozen. A freeze limits access for new creditors — it does not hide your credit history from you or from your existing accounts.

That distinction matters when you compare a freeze to the paid alternatives credit bureaus advertise.

Credit freeze vs. credit lock

The credit bureaus also market a “credit lock,” often for a fee and often bundled with other paid services. The CFPB is direct about this: credit locks are no more effective than security freezes.

A security freeze is free, and you have a right to it by law. A credit lock is a commercial product that does the same basic job of restricting access to your credit information.

Before paying for a credit lock, know that the free security freeze accomplishes the core protection. The next comparison people search for is freeze versus fraud alert.

Credit freeze vs. fraud alert

A fraud alert and a credit freeze protect you in different ways, and you can use them together.

A fraud alert does not block access to your credit report. Instead, it requires creditors who check your credit report to take steps to verify your identity before opening a new account, issuing an additional credit card, or increasing a credit limit at a consumer’s request.

Initial fraud alert

If you think you may have been the victim of identity theft, you can place an initial fraud alert on your credit report. An initial fraud alert lasts up to one year unless you decide to remove it sooner.

Extended fraud alert

The credit bureaus’ websites must also allow you to request an extended fraud alert. The CFPB notes you can place an initial or extended fraud alert if you believe you’ve been — or are about to become — a victim of identity theft or fraud.

Active-duty alert

Each nationwide credit reporting company’s webpage must also allow you to request an active-duty fraud alert. For service members at Fort Carson, Peterson, or Schriever, that option exists alongside the freeze — useful when a deployment or PCS move means you won’t be watching your mail for months.

The key difference: a fraud alert slows a thief down by forcing identity verification; a credit freeze stops the credit report from being pulled at all. Here is how to actually place one.

How to freeze your credit at the three credit bureaus

You can freeze and unfreeze your credit records for free at the three nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

One freeze does not cover all three. You must contact each credit bureau separately, by visiting their websites. You can place a freeze online, and requests can also be made by phone or by mail.

How fast the freeze takes effect

Federal rules set the timing. If you request the freeze by telephone or secure electronic means, the credit bureau must place it within one business day.

If you request it by mail, the security freeze must be placed no later than three business days after the bureau receives the request.

Written confirmation

The credit bureau must send you a written confirmation of the security freeze no later than five business days after the freeze is placed. That confirmation must also tell you how to remove the freeze.

Action	Online or phone	By mail
Place a security freeze	Within one business day	Within three business days of receipt
Lift a security freeze	Within one hour of the request	Within three business days of receipt
Written confirmation of freeze	No later than five business days after the freeze is placed

Once the freeze is in place, the practical question becomes: how do I apply for credit when I actually want to?

How to temporarily lift a credit freeze

A credit freeze lasts until you remove it, but lifting it is free and fast. Upon your request, the freeze must be removed no later than one hour after the bureau receives the request by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means.

If you make the request by mail, the bureau has up to three business days after receiving it.

The temporary thaw

You can also lift the freeze temporarily for a period of time that you specify, free of charge, with the same timing rules. That lets you open a window for a specific application — a new credit card, an auto loan, or a mortgage — and let the freeze snap back afterward.

If you are applying for a home loan, tell your loan officer the file is frozen before the credit report is ordered. The lender cannot pull the report until you lift the freeze at the relevant credit bureaus, so a temporary thaw is a normal early step in the application process.

One worry stops many people from freezing credit in the first place: the credit score. Let’s settle it.

Does a credit freeze hurt your credit score?

No. The CFPB states plainly that security freezes do not impact your credit scores in any way whatsoever.

Your existing accounts continue to report as usual, your credit history keeps building, and you can still review your own credit reports while the freeze stays in place.

Freezing your credit is a restriction on access, not a mark on the file. Adults are not the only ones who can use it, either.

Freezing a child’s credit as a “protected consumer”

Federal law provides identity theft protections for “protected consumers” — people under the age of 16, as well as incapacitated persons and persons for whom a guardian has been appointed.

A person with authority to act for a protected consumer, such as a parent or guardian, can request a security freeze on their behalf.

What if the child has no credit file?

If the credit bureau has no file on the child when the freeze is requested, the company creates a record specifically so it can be frozen. That protected-consumer record may not be used for credit purposes — it exists purely to block identity thieves from building a credit file in the child’s name.

For military families in Colorado Springs, where a child’s Social Security number passes through many enrollment and benefits systems, a protected-consumer freeze is a free safeguard worth knowing about. A freeze is powerful, but it is not a force field — here is what it does not cover.

What a security freeze does not protect against

A credit freeze prevents new credit accounts from being opened. It does not stop fraud on existing accounts, so keep watching statements for warning signs of misuse.

The federal law requiring free security freezes also does not apply to someone requesting your credit report for employment, tenant-screening, or insurance purposes. Those non-credit applications can still reach your file.

And a freeze does not undo identity theft that already happened. If you believe you are already a victim, the CFPB points to fraud alerts and its complaint process as additional tools. Some people add monitoring on top of a freeze — here is what that buys.

Do you still need identity monitoring or credit monitoring?

Identity theft services monitor personally identifiable information in credit applications, public records, websites, and other places for unusual activity. Some help you correct problems after identity theft occurs, and some include credit monitoring with periodic credit scores.

Prices and services vary widely. Before signing up — especially for a “free” offer — the CFPB advises checking for hidden trial periods, fees, or cancellation requirements, and checking with your State Attorney General’s office for complaints against the company.

There are free alternatives. You can request a free credit report from each nationwide credit reporting company at least once every 12 months, and by staggering the three requests you can monitor your credit files throughout the year at no cost. Some credit card companies also show a credit score on your statement.

If you have a problem with credit reporting, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). The full guidance lives on the CFPB’s Ask CFPB pages covering security freezes and identity monitoring — that is the official source this article is built on.

Why this matters for Colorado Springs borrowers

Colorado Springs is a heavily military market, and identity thieves do not take deployments off. A security freeze keeps your credit file locked while you are overseas or mid-PCS, and the active-duty fraud alert option exists specifically for service members.

For anyone planning to buy or refinance a home, the freeze and the mortgage work together fine — you simply lift the freeze temporarily before the lender orders the credit report, then let it refreeze.

Your next step

Visit the websites of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and place a free security freeze at each of the three credit bureaus. Save the written confirmations and your removal instructions somewhere you can find them.

If you have children under 16, request protected-consumer freezes for them too. And if a home purchase is on the horizon, mention the freeze to your loan officer early so the temporary lift is timed with the application — the team at 719 Lending walks Colorado borrowers through that step all the time.

Frequently asked questions

Does a credit freeze affect my credit score?

No. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau states that security freezes do not impact your credit scores in any way whatsoever. Your existing accounts keep reporting normally, and you can still review your own credit reports while the freeze is in place.

How much does it cost to freeze my credit?

Nothing. Federal law gives you the right to free security freezes at all three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Lifting the freeze, temporarily or permanently, is also free. Paid “credit locks” are no more effective than the free freeze.

How fast can I lift a credit freeze to apply for a mortgage?

If you request the lift by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means, the credit bureau must remove the freeze no later than one hour after receiving the request. Mail requests take up to three business days after receipt. You can also lift it temporarily for a window you specify.

Do I have to freeze my credit at all three credit bureaus?

Yes. A freeze at one bureau does not cover the others. You must contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately, typically through each bureau’s website, to fully restrict access to your credit reports.

Can I freeze my child’s credit?

Yes. Federal law lets a parent or guardian request a security freeze for a “protected consumer” under age 16. If the credit bureau has no file on the child, it creates a record just to freeze it, and that record cannot be used for credit purposes.

What’s the difference between a credit freeze and a fraud alert?

A credit freeze blocks prospective creditors from accessing your credit report at all, which generally prevents new accounts from being opened. A fraud alert does not block access — it requires creditors to verify your identity before opening a new account, issuing an additional card, or raising a credit limit. An initial fraud alert lasts up to one year unless you remove it sooner.

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719 Lending Inc. is not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, CHFA, the CFPB, or any government agency.

Last updated: November 2026