What to Do After Identity Theft

If someone has used your personal information to open accounts, file taxes or commit fraud in your name, you can fix it with a short, free sequence of steps.

The Federal Trade Commission lays out three first steps, and this guide adds the rest.

It is written for readers in the United States and relies on the FTC, the IRS and federal law. Nothing here is legal advice, and every source was last checked on October 22, 2026.

The short answer

First, phone each company where you know fraud took place and ask it to close or freeze the accounts.

Second, place a fraud alert through one credit bureau and get your credit reports. Third, report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov to get your recovery plan.

Then consider a credit freeze, and if tax data was involved, an IRS Identity Protection PIN. Everything in this guide is free.

Step 1: call the companies where fraud happened

Contact the fraud team at every company where you know fraud occurred, such as a bank, card issuer or store. Explain that your identity was stolen and ask them to close or freeze those accounts.

The FTC says you may have to contact these companies again once you hold an Identity Theft Report, so record who you spoke to and when.

Secure your accounts

The FTC's recovery guidance includes changing the logins, passwords and PINs for any account that was compromised. Begin with your email account when it can reset the passwords of your other accounts.

Give every account its own password, switch on multifactor authentication wherever offered, and sign out of any session you do not recognize.

Step 2: place a fraud alert and get your credit reports

Reach out to one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) and ask for a free fraud alert on your file.

The bureau you contact must pass the alert on to the other two. The FTC says to do this even if you already have a freeze.

While an alert is active, a business must confirm who you are before opening new credit in your name. An initial alert lasts a year, and it can be renewed.

Get your credit reports

Get your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com or by phone at 877-322-8228.

Our advice: type AnnualCreditReport.com yourself instead of following an ad or a link in a message. Look-alike sites advertise paid monitoring.

The FTC says federal law entitles you to one free copy from each of the three bureaus every 12 months, and that the bureaus also offer free weekly checks on that site.

Read each report for accounts, addresses and inquiries you do not recognize. Note them down, because you will need them for your report.

Step 3: report identity theft to the FTC

Go to IdentityTheft.gov and include as much detail as possible. The site builds your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan. You can also phone 1-877-438-4338.

According to the FTC, its Identity Theft Report counts as an official report to law enforcement. In Spanish, go to RobodeIdentidad.gov. To report in another language, call the same number and press 3.

What the report unlocks

With an FTC Identity Theft Report or a police report, you can request an extended fraud alert. The FTC says it lasts seven years and that you can renew it by resubmitting a report.

Companies and credit bureaus may still ask for more documents, so do not assume one report settles every dispute. Keep copies of everything.

You can then call the fraud department at each business again, with a copy of your report, and dispute the fraudulent accounts.

Save your report and track your plan

According to the FTC, if you have no IdentityTheft.gov account, you must print and save your Identity Theft Report and recovery plan. With an account you can update the plan and follow your progress.

For up-to-date contact details for each bureau, the FTC points to IdentityTheft.gov/creditbureaucontacts. Check it before you call, because contact details change.

Fraud alert or credit freeze

Feature	Fraud alert	Credit freeze
What it does	A business must verify your identity before opening new credit	No one, including you, can access your report to open a new account
Cost	Free	Free
How long	One year, or seven years if extended	You can lift it for free

The table follows the FTC's description. An alert leaves access to your report open. A freeze generally prevents new creditors from seeing it, subject to legal exceptions.

How to get a free credit freeze

Federal law has made credit freezes free since September 21, 2018. Freezing and unfreezing your report costs nothing.

The FTC says a bureau must put a freeze in place within one business day when you ask online or by phone.

The FTC advises choosing a freeze, not a lock, if you want the free option guaranteed by federal law. Each bureau handles freezes on its own, so you have to contact all three.

What a freeze does not do

A freeze does not cover everything. State consumer guidance says companies you already deal with, collection agencies working for them and government agencies acting on a court order or subpoena may still access your report.

A freeze also leaves accounts you already hold exposed, so keep reviewing bank and card statements.

If a child's identity is stolen

A free credit freeze is available for children under 16, according to the FTC. Doing so keeps a child's file locked until the child is old enough to use credit.

If you suspect a child's identity has been misused, the FTC's recovery plan covers child identity theft as one of its specific situations.

If the theft involved your taxes

The IRS says Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit, is for specific tax-related identity theft situations, and in most cases there is no need to file it.

If the IRS sent you an identity-verification letter, follow that letter's instructions instead of filing the affidavit on your own. Do not file a duplicate for the same incident.

If the theft was not tax-related, you do not need to file Form 14039.

Any taxpayer can instead ask for an Identity Protection PIN, a six-digit number you enter on your tax return, using the Get an IP PIN tool on IRS.gov.

Keep going after the first day

Identity theft is rarely fixed in one call. This part is our advice, based on the sources above.

If a bureau does not place a freeze or alert properly, the FTC says you can complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 855-411-2372.

Identity theft protection services

Paid monitoring services are optional. I did not test any of them, and I make no claim about whether they work. The steps above are free, and they come from the FTC and the credit bureaus.

Be cautious about anyone who reaches out offering to get your money back or promising to wipe fraudulent accounts. Contact the company or agency yourself, using details from its official website or your statements.

If a service offers to file reports or place freezes for a fee, compare it with what IdentityTheft.gov and the bureaus offer at no cost before you pay.

Credit freeze or fraud alert: which to use

Two tools protect your credit file, and they work differently. A credit freeze stops lenders from seeing your credit report, which makes it hard for a thief to open a new account in your name.

A fraud alert tells businesses to check with you before opening one.

The Federal Trade Commission describes both as free, and says either makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts. This table is our summary of its guidance.

Question	Credit freeze	Fraud alert
What it does	Prevents potential creditors from accessing your credit report	Tells businesses to check with you before opening a new account
Cost	Free to place and lift	Free
How long	Until you remove it	One year, renewable for free
Who to contact	Each of the three credit bureaus	Any one bureau, which must notify the other two
Effect on credit score	None	None

The FTC says a freeze will not affect your score or your ability to use existing credit cards, apply for a job, rent an apartment or buy insurance.

If you need new credit, you lift the freeze temporarily and put it back afterward. You can also have both a freeze and a fraud alert.

Extended alerts and children

If you have been a victim of identity theft and have completed an FTC identity theft report, you can place an extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years.

People on active military duty can place an active duty alert, which lasts one year.

A 2018 federal law made freezes free and also lets parents freeze the credit files of children under 16 for free, according to the FTC's announcement of the change.

A child's file is a quiet target, because nobody checks it for years.

Freeze, not lock

Credit bureaus also sell products called locks. The FTC's 2018 consumer alert advises that if you want a free freeze guaranteed by federal law, you should choose a freeze and not a lock.

Read the terms of any lock before you pay.

If you think your identity was stolen

Go to IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC's reporting site, which gives you a personalized recovery plan. Then take the practical steps below. This order is our advice.

Our guides on what to do after a data breach and on changing passwords after a breach cover the account steps in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first step after identity theft?

Phone the fraud team at any company where fraud occurred, then place a fraud alert and report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov.

Is IdentityTheft.gov free?

Yes. It is the FTC's site, and it creates a free personal recovery plan.

Do I need a police report?

The FTC's Identity Theft Report is already an official report to law enforcement. A police report can also support an extended fraud alert, and the FTC report may be enough for the alert. Individual companies may ask for more.

Should I freeze my credit?

A freeze costs nothing and blocks new accounts from being opened using your credit report. You may need to lift it temporarily when you apply for credit.

Does an identity theft report help with my taxes?

Only if the theft was tax-related. Then the IRS has its own steps, including Form 14039 in some cases and an Identity Protection PIN.

Does a credit freeze hurt my credit score?

No. The FTC says a freeze does not affect your credit score or your ability to use existing credit.

How long does a fraud alert last?

An initial fraud alert lasts one year and can be renewed. An extended alert for identity theft victims lasts seven years.

Can I freeze my child's credit?

Yes. A 2018 federal law lets parents freeze the credit of children under 16 for free.

A quick checklist

• Call each company where fraud occurred.
• Request a fraud alert from one bureau.
• Obtain and review your credit reports.
• Report at IdentityTheft.gov.
• Consider a free credit freeze.
• Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN.

Up nextWhat to do after a data breachWas your data part of a breach? Read our guide to what to do after a data breach.→