what's the difference between a freeze and an alert?

The difference between a freeze (credit freeze) and an alert (fraud alert) is that a fraud alert requires creditors to verify your identity before issuing new credit in your name, while a credit freeze restricts access to your credit report entirely to prevent anyone from opening new credit accounts without your permission. A fraud alert notifies creditors to take extra precautions during new credit applications, allowing you to still apply for credit. It lasts for one year (or longer for extended and active-duty alerts) and must be renewed. A credit freeze, on the other hand, blocks all access to your credit report until you lift it, offering stronger protection against identity theft, but you cannot apply for new credit without temporarily unfreezing it. Credit freezes last indefinitely until lifted and require contacting each credit bureau separately, whereas a fraud alert only needs to be placed with one bureau, which then notifies the others. Both are free but serve different purposes depending on your credit activity and security needs.