Finding a credit card, loan, or collection you never opened is a gut punch. The good news: federal law gives identity theft victims strong tools to clean up their reports. Here is what to do, step by step.
Step 1: Confirm What Is Fraudulent
Pull your reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. List every account, inquiry, address, and name variation you do not recognize.
Step 2: File an Identity Theft Report
Go to IdentityTheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission’s official site, and file a report. It creates an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan. This report is a key piece of your block request.
Step 3: Request a 605B Block
Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act lets you ask each credit bureau to block information that resulted from identity theft. Send each bureau:
- Proof of your identity
- A copy of your identity theft report
- A list of the specific items that are fraudulent
- A statement that the information does not relate to any transaction you made
Once a bureau receives a complete request, it generally must block the information within four business days.
Step 4: Protect Yourself Going Forward
- Credit freeze: Free at all three bureaus. It stops new accounts from being opened in your name until you lift it.
- Fraud alert: An initial fraud alert lasts one year and tells lenders to verify your identity. Identity theft victims can get an extended alert that lasts seven years.
- Change passwords on financial accounts and turn on two-factor authentication.
Step 5: Contact the Creditors
Notify each company where a fraudulent account was opened. Ask them to close the account and confirm in writing that you are not responsible for it.
Let Us Handle It
Identity theft cleanup is detailed, and incomplete requests get delayed or denied. We identify every fraudulent item and build complete 605B requests for all three bureaus. See our identity theft service or book a free 30-minute credit review.