Below is a plain-English guide to the latest tactics, along with the steps you can take to protect yourself and your neighbors. What to do: Block, report spam, delete. Check your credit and place freezes if needed (see “Good News: Why Credit Freezes Work” below). Report fraud to law enforcement and federal agencies; freeze credit. Good News: Why Credit Freezes WorkCredit freezes are free, don’t affect your score, and are stronger than fraud alerts at blocking new-account fraud.