Are fraud alerts and credit freezes the same thing?

No, fraud alerts and credit freezes are not the same thing. A fraud alert notifies creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before granting credit, making it harder for identity thieves to open accounts in your name. In contrast, a credit freeze restricts access to your credit report entirely, preventing new accounts from being opened until you lift the freeze. While both tools help protect against identity theft, they function differently in terms of access and verification.