Credit card fraud surging: Why you should freeze your credit
In the age of online hackers and internet scams, protecting your personal information is as important as ever. Unfortunately, data leaks are on the rise as technology advances.
According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, 73% of U.S. adults have experienced some kind of online scam or attack. So, if you've never fallen victim to someone obtaining your account information, the odds do not seem to be in your favor.
Luckily, you can protect yourself by taking extra steps to secure your private information.
As someone who has had airline profiles hacked and points and credit card account information stolen, here's why I decided to freeze my credit — and why you might consider doing so, too.
Related: How to protect yourself against rewards program data breaches
What is a credit report freeze?
Yes, having different passwords for each of your accounts and enabling two-step authentication are the first lines of defense when it comes to keeping your personal data safe.
However, even with these barriers in place, data leaks continue.
A credit freeze can be a great option to prevent fraudulent accounts from being opened in your name, as it will prevent lenders from pulling your report to open a new line of credit.
The three major credit companies are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. To enable a freeze of your credit, you can set up a free account by contacting each of these companies by mail, phone or online.
Note that freezing your credit will not affect your credit score.
Personally, I set up my accounts online and then froze my credit. Now, I have some peace of mind knowing that my credit file is protected against someone using that information to commit fraud in my name.
Why you should freeze your credit
Identity theft and credit card fraud are the most common types of fraud. According to The Motley Fool, the Federal Trade Commission reported 503,450 cases of credit card fraud and 379,898 of "other identity theft" in the first three quarters of 2025.
Taking an extra step to protect your information from abuse can save you money and the headache of resolving fraudulent purchases under your name.
Note that freezing your accounts does not prevent existing fraudulent accounts from being used; it just stops new ones from being opened. If you believe your information has been compromised, here are five steps you can take to help monitor for any possible fraud.
How to unfreeze your credit
If you want to open a new credit card, purchase a car or do anything that would require Equifax, Experian or TransUnion to pull your information, you can schedule a "temporary thaw." Doing so lifts the block on your credit report for a certain amount of time.
You can unfreeze your credit online in just a few minutes; simply log in to your accounts, navigate to the page that says, "schedule a temporary thaw," and click the dates you would like your credit report to be available. You can also do so over the phone.
Bottom line
Though newer security measures such as two-step authentication can help, fraud — specifically credit card and identity fraud — continues to surge. It's important to take extra precautions to protect your information from falling into the wrong hands.
Though it's not a foolproof method, freezing your credit can reduce the risk of your information being compromised.