Credit freezes have been free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion since 2018. They are built to block one of the most common forms of identity fraud: new credit applications opened in your name. But the latest numbers show why a freeze cannot be your only line of defense. Javelin Strategy & Research's 2026 Identity Fraud Study found that traditional identity fraud losses reached $27.3 billion last year, affecting 18 million victims. New-account …