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What is a fraud alert and should I get one?
A fraud alert lets the credit card bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) know that you may be a victim of identity theft. A fraud alert can make it very hard for anyone to open new accounts in your name, and it can be a good idea if you are fearful of someone using your information without your knowledge. A fraud alert will remove your name from all pre-approved credit cards and it will require the credit card bureaus to call you by phone before any new account can be opened. Once you have successfully placed a fraud alert through one of the credit bureaus, they should let the other two credit bureaus know but you may want to confirm this with the credit union that you contact. Below is the website information for the three bureaus:
