 TITLE: How to Protect Yourself If You’ve Been Scammed Online CONTENT: Reach Out to the Credit Bureaus\n-------------------------------\nThe three national credit reporting agencies, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, maintain and provide access to your credit reports. If you think someone has obtained your personally identifiable information, especially your Social Security number, contact each of the credit bureaus to restrict access to your credit reports. Here's how.\n### Freeze Your Credit\nOne way to keep people from using your credit report fraudulently is with a credit freeze. Freezing your credit prohibits anyone from viewing your credit report, including creditors, unless you lift the freeze using a personal identification number (PIN) provided to you.\nThis means that if someone tries to use your information to open a fraudulent account in your name, the creditor won't be able to approve the application because it can't run a credit check.\nYou can request a free credit freeze on your Experian credit report through the Experian Security Freeze Center or by calling 888-397-3742. The other two credit bureaus provide similar methods to freeze your reports.\nOne drawback to freezing your credit is that it doesn't only prevent scammers from getting approved for credit—it prevents you from getting approved as well. But if you're not planning on applying for a loan or credit card anytime soon, it can provide valuable protection.\n### Request a Fraud Alert\nIf you don't want to go through this process with each credit bureau, consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports instead. There are two types of fraud alerts you can place on your report after discovering that you've been scammed: an initial fraud alert and an extended fraud alert.\nUnlike credit freezes, you only need to request an initial fraud alert with one of the three national credit bureaus. The agency that receives your request will pass it along to the other two.\nThis alert, which you can request with Experian through the Experian Fraud Alert Center or by calling 888-397-3742, adds a notification to your credit reports for potential creditors. The message encourages them to verify your information before extending credit in your name. You can provide a phone number where creditors can reach you to verify your identity before they proceed.\nAn initial fraud alert remains on your credit reports for 90 days, and you can renew it as many times as you want. If you want an extended fraud alert, which lasts for seven years, you will need to contact each credit bureau to submit your request. You'll also need to provide an identity theft report, which includes an identity theft affidavit from the FTC and a police report (see below). END