What does a consumer need to provide to activate an extended fraud alert?

• A. A government-issued ID
• B. Nothing is required
• C. Documentation or evidence of identity theft (per CRA process) to extend to 7 years
• D. A credit score report

Answer: (C)

An extended fraud alert adds extra protection to your credit file by requiring proof that you’re a victim of identity theft. To activate it and extend the alert to seven years, you must provide documentation or evidence of identity theft to the credit reporting agency, such as an Identity Theft Report filed with the FTC or a police report, in line with the CRA’s process. This proof helps the CRA verify your claim and justify the longer protection. Simply showing a government-issued ID isn’t enough, and a credit score report isn’t relevant to activating the alert. Once the extended alert is in place, lenders must take additional steps to verify your identity before opening new credit, helping prevent fraudulent accounts in your name.