How long does an initial fraud alert last, and how long does an extended fraud alert last?

• A. Initial 1 year; extended 7 years when supported by an identity theft affidavit
• B. Initial 2 years; extended 5 years
• C. Initial 90 days; extended 2 years
• D. Initial 6 months; extended 3 years

Answer: (A)

Fraud alerts are protections that prompt creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts. An initial fraud alert lasts one year. If you are a victim of identity theft and provide an identity theft affidavit (or file an identity theft report), you can request an extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years. The extended alert gives longer protection and requires documentation tying the activity to identity theft. The other duration options don’t align with these rules, so the correct pairing is initial one year and extended seven years when supported by an identity theft affidavit.