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Short answer: if someone has stolen your identity, the FTC says to do three things in order. First, contact the companies where fraud happened. Second, place a free fraud alert and review your credit reports. Third, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, which generates a free identity theft recovery plan with next steps. This guide walks through each step using the FTC’s advice, with the phone numbers it lists.
Identity theft recovery plan: the key numbers
These numbers come from the FTC’s recovery advice.
| Where | Contact |
|---|---|
| Report identity theft (English) | IdentityTheft.gov |
| Report in Spanish | RobodeIdentidad.gov |
| Other languages | 877-438-4338, press 3 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET) |
| Free credit reports | AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228 |
| Experian / TransUnion / Equifax | 888-397-3742 / 888-909-8872 / 800-685-1111 |
Step 1: Contact the companies where fraud happened
Call each company’s fraud department and tell them your identity was stolen. The FTC says to ask them to shut down or lock the affected accounts. That way no new charges can be added without your consent. Also change the logins, passwords, and PINs for those accounts. Do this first. It stops the damage that is already happening while you work through the rest of your identity theft recovery plan.
Step 2: Place a fraud alert and check your credit reports
The FTC says to do this even if you already have a credit freeze. If you don’t have one, freeze your credit too. You can contact any one of the three credit bureaus to place a free, one-year fraud alert. That bureau must notify the other two. A fraud alert requires businesses to verify your identity before opening a new credit account in your name. You can renew it after a year.
Then get your credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com. Read them for accounts or transactions you don’t recognize. Our guides on how to freeze your credit at all three bureaus and how to dispute credit report errors cover the follow-up in detail.
Step 3: Report it to the FTC
Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov. According to the FTC’s page on the site, you answer questions about what happened. The site then creates an Identity Theft Report documenting the theft, plus a personalized recovery plan. It also provides sample letters to dispute problems with creditors and credit bureaus. Depending on your situation, the plan may direct you to close new accounts opened in your name and dispute charges on existing accounts. It may also tell you to contact the three bureaus to correct your credit report, and to consider an extended fraud alert or a credit freeze.
What to keep and what to watch
Keep a file with your report, your plan, the dates and names from every call, and copies of every letter. Check your credit reports regularly for new accounts. Watch your bank and card statements for charges you didn’t make. The FTC lists separate articles for tax identity theft and medical identity theft. If the thief used your Social Security number to file a return, or your health information to get care, look for those guides as well.
If the theft followed a scam, our checklist on what to do if you were scammed covers the steps around money you sent. Be careful about “recovery” services that charge fees. IdentityTheft.gov is free, and the FTC says the report and plan cost nothing.
Editor’s take
Start the identity theft recovery plan the day you notice, even if you only have an hour. The order matters. Lock the accounts first, then place the fraud alert, then file the report that produces your plan. Write down every call as you make it. That record is what lets you prove the debts are not yours.
