How do I freeze my credit for free at all three bureaus
Use the free tool — Hacked Help
This happens to smart people every day
If someone got your Social Security number, used a one-time code you gave up, or opened credit in your name, you are not the only one this has happened to. Freezing your credit is one of the fastest things you can do about it, and acting in the next hour fixes most of it.
Do this first: freeze your credit at all three bureaus
Credit freezes are free and take minutes. You need to freeze with all three bureaus separately — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The FTC explains how here: FTC credit freeze guide.
- Freeze all three. A freeze with only one bureau leaves the other two open.
- Keep the PIN or password each bureau gives you — you'll need it to lift the freeze later.
- A freeze doesn't hurt your credit score, and you can lift it whenever you want.
Within the hour: if a code, your SSN, or money was involved
If you gave up a one-time code or your Social Security number, file a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov. It's the FTC's official recovery-plan generator, and it creates the affidavit that banks accept.
If money moved by wire or gift card, call your bank now — using the number on the back of your card, never a number from a text or email — and file a report at ic3.gov, the FBI's fraud portal. Money-transfer scams reported fast are sometimes reversible.
Never pay anyone who contacts you offering an "account recovery service." These are almost always scams. Use only the official links on this page.
If your email is part of this
Check your email settings for forwarding rules and app passwords you don't recognize. Attackers plant these so they can keep reading your mail even after you change your password. Remove anything you didn't set up yourself.
What's uncertain, and a caution
We don't know your specific bank's fraud policy, your state's laws, or whether a reversal is possible in your case — that depends on how fast you act and your bank's rules. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm every step with your bank, the credit bureaus, or a professional.
Hacked Help provides general security guidance; it can be wrong and it is not legal or financial advice. For active theft, work directly with your bank and law enforcement. Nothing you type is stored.
What to do next
Describe what happened using the free tool above — ninety seconds, plain words, nothing stored. It reads what you type and gives you the exact sequence for your situation, in the right order, with the official links.
Hacked Help provides general security guidance; it can be wrong and it is not legal or financial advice. For active theft, work directly with your bank and law enforcement. Nothing you type is stored.