If your personal information has been compromised, you should consider a credit freeze to prevent fraudulent credit accounts being opened in your name. Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra's Betsy Badell and NBC10 Boston's Rob Michaelson explain. Rob: They say be prepared for anything, and with scammers stealing people's identities and opening up fake credit applications. How do I prepare for something like that? A credit freeze can prevent scammers from applying for credit in your name.