In an era when identity theft and fraudulent credit activity are prevalent, consumers must have security tools to protect their financial lives. Luckily, the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion), along with the federal government, have implemented steps consumers can take to help safeguard their personal information.
The first defense against the fraudulent use of your personal information is placing a fraud alert on your credit file before or shortly after you are the victim of identity theft, or if you suspect your personal information is compromised. Then, you’ll want to remove it when you’re in the clear.
What is a Credit Fraud Alert?
A credit fraud alert is a temporary notice placed on your credit file that prompts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity before opening an account. Whether it is a new credit card, personal loan, auto loan, mortgage, or line of credit, a fraud alert adds a barrier between an identity thief and an unknowing lender.
Initial and active-duty fraud alerts on your credit reports are provided for free to individuals, whether or not they have been the victim of identity theft or other fraudulent credit activity, and are in force for one year. While these fraud alerts are sufficient for most people, victims of identity theft can request an extended fraud alert that lasts for seven years.
The process of placing a fraud alert varies among the three major credit bureaus. However, you can typically achieve this by submitting a request via each agency’s website, using their mobile app, calling them on the phone, or sending it via certified mail.
Removing a Fraud Alert from Your Credit Reports
If you’ve recently resolved an identity theft issue, you may want to learn how to manually remove a fraud alert from your Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion credit reports. While placing an alert is easy, you must follow these steps to contact each bureau to delete your alerts and clear your file.
To remove a fraud alert from your credit report, you can do so manually or let it expire after 1 year for initial and active-duty alerts or 7 years for an extended alert.
By law, when you add a fraud alert with one credit bureau, that company is supposed to notify the other two companies of your request. That is so you can set up the fraud alert as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, when you want the fraud alerts removed, you will have to contact each of the three credit bureaus separately.
Each credit bureau varies slightly in how you can remove active-duty (for military members), initial, and extended credit fraud alerts from a credit report before their expiration dates, but the process is generally the same.
Follow these steps to remove a fraud alert with each of the 3 main credit reporting agencies listed below.
Remove Experian Fraud Alert
Active-duty and initial fraud alerts with Experian will be removed automatically when they expire, 12 months after activation. Experian removes extended fraud alerts after 7 years.
However, you can request that Experian remove a fraud alert manually before it expires. The company prefers that you do it online, but you can also submit your request by mail or by phone at 1-888-397-3742 (1-888-EXPERIAN).
Experian Removal Address
Experian
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
More information on adding, updating, or removing Experian fraud alerts is available on its website. You must create an Experian account to manage your fraud alert online.
Remove Equifax Fraud Alert
Active-duty and initial fraud alerts with Equifax will also be deleted automatically when they expire, 12 months after they were created. Extended fraud alerts will also fall off your credit report after 7 years.
However, you can also call Equifax at 1-888-836-6351 to have a fraud alert manually removed or make the request in writing. The written request should include verification of your personal information and can be mailed to Equifax using the mailing address below.
Equifax Removal Address
Equifax Information Services LLC
PO Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
Additional information about adding, updating, or removing Equifax fraud alerts is available on its website. You can create an online account to initiate a fraud alert through myEquifax, but you cannot remove the fraud alert there at this time.
Remove TransUnion Fraud Alert
Like Equifax and Experian, initial and active-duty fraud alerts with TransUnion will drop off automatically when they expire, approximately 12 months after initiation. TransUnion removes extended fraud alerts after 7 years.
You can also request to have TransUnion delete the fraud alert before it expires by managing it online, by mail, or by calling customer service at 1-800-916-8800.
TransUnion Removal Address
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
If you need additional details about adding, updating, or removing TransUnion fraud alerts, you can visit its website. You will need to create a TransUnion account to manage your fraud alert online.
Tips for Written Fraud Alert Removal Requests
At a minimum, written requests should include the following information:
- Your request
- Full legal name
- Social Security number (SSN)
- Date of birth (DOB)
- A government-issued identification card, such as a passport or a driver’s license
- Complete addresses for the past two years
- Copy of a bank or utility statement for proof of address
This information should be enough to honor your request; however, it is best to check with each of their websites. Especially when removing an extended alert. Verify each copy is legible and displays your name, current mailing address, and issue date before sending it to the credit bureaus.
If you have trouble getting rid of an initial, extended, or active-duty fraud alert tied to your credit history report, please let us know.