You have a credit freeze. It still isn’t enough

Credit freezes have been free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion since 2018. They are built to block one of the most common forms of identity fraud: new credit applications opened in your name. But the latest numbers show why a freeze cannot be your only line of defense. Javelin Strategy & Research's 2026 Identity Fraud Study found that traditional identity fraud losses reached $27.3 billion last year, affecting 18 million victims. New-account fraud saw the sharpest rise, with victims jumping 31% from 2024 to 2025.