What to do after identity theft

1. 1Call the companies where the fraud happened. Ask for the fraud department, close or freeze affected accounts, and change logins and PINs.
2. 2Place a fraud alert with one of the three nationwide bureaus. It must notify the other two.
3. 3Get your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com and note every account or inquiry that isn't yours.
4. 4Report it to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov to get an identity theft report and a recovery plan.
5. 5Consider a credit freeze at all three bureaus to stop new accounts. See freeze vs. lock.

• Dispute fraudulent accounts and inquiries with each bureau, and ask them to block information that resulted from identity theft under FCRA § 605B (1681c-2). Include your identity theft report and proof of identity.
• Write to each company where an account was opened, with a copy of your identity theft report, and ask them to close it and stop reporting it.
• Consider filing a police report, which some creditors request.
• Request an extended fraud alert (seven years) with your identity theft report.
• If your SSN was used for taxes, follow the IRS guidance and consider an Identity Protection PIN.
• If you see unauthorized inquiries, follow these steps.

IdentityTheft.gov builds a checklist for your specific situation and pre-fills letters you can send.

Federal law gives identity theft victims the right to copies of applications and transaction records for accounts opened or used fraudulently in their name. With proof of identity and proof of the claim, such as your Identity Theft Report, the business generally must provide them free within 30 days (15 U.S.C. § 1681g(e)). The records can show which address, phone number, or email the thief used, which helps you find other places your information may have been misused.

Thieves often get in through email, phone, or bank logins, then use them to reset other passwords. Change passwords on your email, banking, and mobile phone accounts first, using a different password for each, and turn on multi-factor authentication where it's offered. Check your email settings for forwarding rules you didn't create. Ask your mobile carrier about an account PIN or other protection against unauthorized SIM swaps and number transfers.

With an Identity Theft Report, you can place an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years. It also removes you from prescreened credit and insurance offer lists for five years and entitles you to two free disclosures from each nationwide bureau in the 12 months after it's placed (15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1(b)). Use those extra reports to confirm that blocked and disputed items stay gone.

Tell the collector in writing that the debt resulted from identity theft and include your Identity Theft Report. A collector told that a debt may be fraudulent must notify the creditor, and must give you the information about the debt you'd otherwise be entitled to (15 U.S.C. § 1681m(g)). Once a company has been notified, through the bureau block process, that a debt resulted from identity theft, it can't sell it, transfer it, or place it for collection (§ 1681m(f)).

You can also dispute the debt and request validation within the validation period. See debt validation.

Identity theft victims are frequent targets of follow-up scams: callers who claim to be from a government agency, a bank, or a "recovery service" and ask for payment or more personal information. Recovery tools from the FTC and the bureaus are free. Don't give information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly; call the organization back using a number you look up yourself.

Log every call (date, company, name, what they said), keep copies of every letter and report, and send important letters by certified mail with return receipt. Identity theft recovery can involve several rounds, and good records make each one faster.

Keep checking your reports for months afterward, because new fraud can surface late. Keep freezes in place until you need credit. The longer-term playbook, including monitoring and prevention, is in the identity theft protection guide.