Fraud & identity theft

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What Do Hackers Do With Stolen Information?

What happens if a hacker gets hold of your personal information? Learn the biggest risks o...

By Karen Axelton

Feb 21, 2022Fraud & identity theft

How to Avoid Puppy Scams When Adopting a Pet

Puppy scams prey on hopeful pet adopters who pay for puppies that don't exist. Here's how ...

By Emily Cahill

Feb 15, 2022Prevention

How to Avoid a Fake Landlord Scam

Fake landlord scams prey on vulnerable renters or buyers who wind up paying rent to someon...

By Emily Cahill

Feb 7, 2022Prevention

How to Protect Yourself From Passport Scams

Are you trying to get or renew a passport? Protect yourself from passport scams—and identi...

By Karen Axelton

Feb 5, 2022Prevention

Can I Trust Caller ID?

Criminals routinely hijack caller ID to make fraudulent calls look like they come from leg...

By Jim Akin

Feb 4, 2022Fraud & identity theft

Does Freezing Your Credit File Affect Other Accounts

Freezing your credit file will not have an effect on your existing credit accounts. Find o...

By Jennifer White

Jan 31, 2022Security freeze

How to Avoid Passive Income Scams

Despite what scammers will tell you, earning passive income is rarely quick or easy.

By Louis DeNicola

Jan 30, 2022Prevention

How to Run a Privacy Scan After a Data Breach

If your personal information has been leaked during a data breach, running a privacy scan ...

By Emily Cahill

Jan 23, 2022Prevention

What Is Doxxing and How Can Privacy Scans Prevent It?

Doxxing is an event where someone's private information is made public against their will....

By Emily Cahill

Jan 18, 2022Prevention

How to Protect Your Identity on Online Auctions Sites

Online auction websites can be a great source for deals and even some extra cash. But it’s...

By Ben Luthi

Jan 7, 2022Prevention

How to Remove Your Name From Robocall Lists

Is your phone ringing off the hook with robocalls? Here's how to put a stop to the calls a...

By Emily Cahill

Jan 3, 2022Prevention

What to Do When a Scammer Calls

Your phone rings, the call ID looks legit and you pick up. But the person on the other end...

By Evelyn Waugh

Dec 12, 2021Prevention

What to Do When Items Are Stolen From Your Car

When your personal information is stolen, there are important steps you can take to minimi...

By Jennifer White

Aug 27, 2021Prevention

What Is Familiar Fraud and How It Can Affect Your Family?

Familiar fraud is identity theft that's carried out by someone you know. You can't always ...

By Marianne Hayes

Aug 18, 2021Fraud & identity theft

How to Protect Your Child From Identity Theft

Identity thieves strike children as well as adults. These steps can help prevent your kids...

By Jim Akin

Jul 10, 2021Prevention

Online Car-Buying Scams to Watch Out For

To keep an online car-buying or car-selling scam from driving you up a wall, be aware of t...

By John Egan

Jun 17, 2021Fraud & identity theft

7 Ways to Protect Your Kids on Social Media

You want to protect your kids online, but social media can be more dangerous than ever whe...

By Hillary Back

May 6, 2021Cybersecurity

Should You Pay for Cellphone ID Protection?

Will your cellphone carrier's ID protection subscription keep your identity safe?

By Hillary Back

Feb 28, 2021Fraud & identity theft

Can Facial Recognition Technology Protect You From Fraud?

Facial recognition technology can make it more convenient to access your accounts. It's no...

By Ben Luthi

Feb 4, 2021Prevention

How Common Is Identity Theft?

An Experian survey showed that 24% of respondents were victims of ID theft over the 2020 h...

By Gayle Sato

Jan 24, 2021Fraud & identity theft

How Long Does It Take to Thaw Frozen Credit?

Depending on how you remove a credit freeze from your credit report, thawing it can take a...

By Jennifer White

Jan 8, 2021Security freeze

Are There Any Downsides to Freezing Your Credit?

Credit freezes can help limit fraudsters from applying for credit in your name, but it's n...

By Jennifer White

Oct 31, 2020Security freeze

Should I Encrypt Sensitive Files on My Computer?

Encryption can keep others from accessing your files without a key, and it can be surprisi...

By Louis DeNicola

Sep 10, 2020Prevention

How Do Credit Card Companies Investigate Fraud?

Credit card companies may investigate an unauthorized purchase to determine if it's fraud ...

By Louis DeNicola

Aug 19, 2020Fraud & identity theft

Can You Freeze a Credit Score?

Freezing your credit doesn't impact your credit score, but it will restrict who can view y...

By Ben Luthi

Jul 20, 2020Security freeze

How to Protect Your Privacy on Social Media

As social media becomes an even greater part of everyone's lives, here are a few tips to l...

By Stefan Lembo Stolba

May 29, 2020Prevention

Is It Safe to Store My Credit Card Information Online?

Storing your credit card information online makes shopping more convenient, but it can als...

By Emily Starbuck Gerson

May 3, 2020Fraud & identity theft

How to Add a Telephone Number to a Fraud Alert

When you have a fraud alert on your credit report, it's important lenders have an up-to-da...

By Jennifer White

Mar 21, 2020Fraud alert

How to Fight Tax Identity Theft

Awareness, healthy skepticism and basic knowledge of IRS procedure can shield you from sca...

By Jim Akin

Jan 23, 2020Prevention

How Fraud Alerts Can Affect Credit Applications

A fraud alert can slightly complicate instant-credit applications, but it's a minor hassle...

By Jim Akin

Jan 20, 2020Fraud alert

How to Protect Your Identity and Credit

A consequence of the digital age is the need to safeguard personal data and monitor credit...

By Jim Akin

Jan 14, 2020Prevention

How to Keep Your Tax Refund Safe From Fraudsters

Tax identity theft can delay your tax refund and can also be a sign of other fraud. Here's...

By Ben Luthi

Jan 12, 2020Prevention

How to Protect Yourself If You’ve Been Scammed Online

Online scams can be extremely convincing, but if your information falls in the wrong hands...

By Ben Luthi

Dec 22, 2019Prevention

How Do Fraud Alerts Affect Credit?

Fraud alerts don't affect credit scores, but if your personal data is compromised, they ca...

By Jim Akin

Dec 14, 2019Fraud alert

How to Protect Your Identity After a Burglary

Being stolen from is bad enough, but experiencing identity theft afterward adds another la...

By Erica Sandberg

Dec 11, 2019Prevention

What to Know About the Effects of Identity Theft

The effects of identity theft can last anywhere between a few days and several years. Here...

By Ben Luthi

Jul 23, 2019Prevention

How to Avoid Money Order Scams

Money orders make it easy to exchange cash without a bank account—and that makes them conv...

By Jim Akin

May 5, 2019Prevention

What Should I Do If I Lose My Medicare Card?

The new Medicare ID cards reduce the hassle if your card is lost or stolen. Learn how to p...

By Jim Akin

Apr 20, 2019Prevention

How Can I Report Disability Fraud?

To report disability fraud, you should first understand how federal disability programs op...

By Jim Akin

Apr 5, 2019Fraud & identity theft

Macy’s & Bloomingdale’s Data Breach: What You Need to Know

If you've been shopping online at Macy's or Bloomingdale's recently, beware. The popular d...

By Ismat Mangla

Jul 11, 2018Data breach

Is It Safe to Use Facebook to Login on Other Sites?

Using Facebook or other social-media login credentials to sign into third-party sites and ...

By Jim Akin

Apr 19, 2018Prevention

9 Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media

Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great for staying in tou...

By Jim Akin

Mar 23, 2018Prevention

5 Ways to Buy and Sell Safely on Facebook Marketplace

The new Facebook Marketplace is an appealing alternative to yard sales and flea markets, b...

By Jim Akin

Dec 7, 2017Cybersecurity

What is Spear Phishing?

Spear phishing occurs when scammers use personal details to tailor the emails, text messag...

By Jim Akin

Sep 29, 2017Prevention

What Should You Do When Your Identity Is Stolen: Credit Freeze or Fraud Alert?

Discover your best options after finding suspicious activity on your credit report.

Oct 18, 2016Security freeze

Identity Theft Basics

What is identity theft? Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information with...

Sep 1, 2016Fraud & identity theft

Parent Using Child’s Social Security Number

Dear Experian, I believe my daughter's father is using her Social Security number for elec...

By Experian Team

Jul 14, 2016Fraud & identity theft

Cyber Crime: An Evolving Threat

Cybercrime is a threat to our online lives. Find out the three most prevalent types of cri...

Jul 8, 2016Cybersecurity

Fraud Resources

Experian Fraud Division 1 888 397 3742 Fraud Alert Security Freeze Equifax Fraud Division1...

Apr 21, 2016Fraud & identity theft

Fraud FAQs

Fraud Prevention What about the legitimate accounts that I already have established? Shoul...

Apr 21, 2016Fraud & identity theft

Sharing the Security Code on Your Credit Card

Dear Experian, I purchased something by phone recently and was asked for the security code...

By Experian Team

Aug 23, 2013Prevention

Replacing a Lost Security Freeze PIN Number

Dear Experian, I placed a security freeze on my account and have misplaced the PIN needed ...

By Experian Team

May 22, 2013Security freeze

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