Protect yourself: free steps anyone can take
Freeze your credit, cut junk mail and lock down your government accounts, at the official websites. You don't need Free My ID for any of this.
Freeze your credit
A freeze stops a thief from opening new credit in your name. It does not hurt your credit score. Each company must be frozen on its own, so do all of them.
- Freeze your credit at Equifax A freeze stops a thief from opening new credit in your name. It does not hurt your credit score. Free About 10 minutes online
- Freeze your credit at Experian Same reason as Equifax. Each bureau must be frozen on its own. Free About 10 minutes online
- Freeze your credit at TransUnion Same reason as the other two big bureaus. Free A few minutes online
- Freeze your credit at Innovis (the fourth bureau) Few people have heard of Innovis, but some lenders use it. A freeze closes that gap. Free About 10 minutes online
- Freeze your ChexSystems report (bank accounts) Banks use ChexSystems when you open a checking or savings account. A freeze stops a thief opening one in your name. Free About 10 minutes
- Freeze your NCTUE report (phone, power and utility accounts) Phone, cable and utility companies check NCTUE before giving you service. A freeze blocks that for new accounts. Free About 10 minutes online
- Freeze your LexisNexis Risk Solutions file Insurance companies and others buy reports from LexisNexis. A freeze limits who can see yours. Free About 15 minutes online
Stop junk mail and pre-approved offers
Pre-approved offers are made from lists the credit bureaus sell. These steps cut those offers, much of the catalog mail, and most sales calls.
- Stop pre-approved credit card and insurance offers in the mail Those offers are made from lists the credit bureaus sell. They can be stolen from a mailbox and used to open an account in your name. Free 5 minutes online for 5 years
- Cut down on junk mail with DMAchoice Many catalogs and charities mail you because of marketing lists. DMAchoice asks member companies to remove you. Small fee About 15 minutes online
- Join the National Do Not Call Registry Stops most sales calls to your home and cell number. Scam callers ignore it, but legitimate sellers must obey. Free 5 minutes
Lock down government accounts
Claim your own accounts before someone else does, and add the extra locks the IRS, Social Security and the Postal Service offer.
- Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) A 6-digit number that stops anyone else from filing a tax return with your Social Security number. Free Online: about 20 minutes once you have an IRS online account
- Claim your my Social Security account (before a thief does) If you do not have an account, a thief can make one in your name and redirect your benefits. Making your own, or blocking online access, closes that door. Free 20 to 30 minutes the first time
- Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery You see a picture of each letter before it arrives, so a stolen or missing letter stands out. Free About 15 minutes
Search results
Google can hide search results that show your phone number, home address or email. The page itself stays on the other website.
California residents
One free request asks every data broker registered in California to delete your information.
Where Free My ID fits
Free My ID does a different job: it asks people-search sites to remove your listing. The steps on this page are separate, and you can do every one of them without it. How Free My ID works
Steps last checked November 7, 2026 (list version 2026.11.07.2), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Companies change their pages often; if something looks different, follow what the official page says.