Guide · 8 min read

Protecting your SSN and freezing your credit

Once an SSN is exposed, it can't be changed easily — so the goal is to make it useless to thieves. A credit freeze is the single most effective step.

What a credit freeze does

A freeze blocks new creditors from accessing your credit report, which stops thieves from opening accounts in your name. It's free, doesn't affect your credit score, and you can lift it anytime you need to apply for credit.

How to freeze your credit

Place a freeze with each of the three bureaus:

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — freeze all three.
Keep your PINs or login credentials somewhere safe.
Temporarily 'thaw' the freeze when you need to apply for credit.

Reduce the exposure too

Freezing your credit limits the damage; removing your data limits the opportunity. Together with dark-web monitoring for your SSN, they form a strong defense against financial fraud.

See where your data is exposed — free.

Run a free scan to find your personal information across 400+ broker sites, then let Periscope remove it.