Denzel is saving to buy a house and knows he needs a good credit score to qualify for a low-rate mortgage. He has been regularly checking his credit score. How can Denzel protect himself from identity theft?

A credit freeze restricts lenders from accessing Denzel’s credit reports to open new accounts, helping prevent someone from using his identity to obtain credit. He can contact the three credit bureaus to place the freezes. Responding to unsolicited mortgage emails or texts can expose him to scams, and checking his score more often does not itself prevent identity theft.

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