What Should You Do If Your Identity Is Stolen?
Identity theft affects millions of Americans each year. Here's the exact step-by-step process to stop the damage and recover.
General information, not professional advice — see terms of use.
Act immediately — the faster you respond, the less damage is done.
Step 1: Place a credit freeze. Contact all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to freeze your credit — this prevents any new credit from being opened in your name.
Step 2: File a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. This creates a personalized recovery plan and official Identity Theft Report you'll need for next steps.
Step 3: File a police report. Bring your FTC report to local police. Required by some creditors when disputing fraudulent accounts.
Step 4: Contact affected companies. Call the fraud department of each company where fraudulent accounts were opened.
Step 5: Dispute credit report errors. Send dispute letters with your FTC and police reports to all three credit bureaus for any fraudulent accounts.
Step 6: Change all passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts.
Follow-up questions
How do I know if my identity has been stolen?
Warning signs: unexpected bills for accounts you didn't open, unfamiliar accounts on your credit report, being denied credit unexpectedly, IRS notices about a second tax return filed in your name, or medical bills for services you didn't receive.
Does identity theft protection insurance help?
Services like LifeLock or Aura monitor your credit and alert you to suspicious activity. The monitoring is valuable; the insurance reimburses expenses like legal fees but does not return stolen funds. Many of the same protections are available free through the FTC and credit bureaus.
How long does it take to recover from identity theft?
Minor identity theft (one fraudulent account) can be resolved in weeks. Severe cases involving multiple accounts, tax fraud, or medical identity theft can take 6 months to 2 years and hundreds of hours to fully resolve.
More cybersecurity answers
This page is general information, not professional advice, and it may not reflect the latest rules where you live. For your own situation, talk to a qualified adviser. Spotted an error? Email per@upperia.se and we will fix it.