A fraud alert is another free option to consider in addition to a freeze. With a fraud alert, your credit report is flagged, and creditors and lenders must take added steps to verify your identity. According to the FTC, you can provide a telephone number and the business must call you to verify whether you are the person making the credit request. There are 3 kinds of alerts available:

• Initial Fraud Alert: This one is perfect if you’re concerned about identity theft, but haven’t yet become a victim.
• Extended Fraud Alert: This is if you’ve already been a victim of identity theft.
• Active Duty Military Alert: This is for those who are in the military who want to protect their credit while deployed.