If someone used your Social Security number, bank details, or other personal information without permission, start at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC turns your answers into an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan based on the type of fraud you describe.

The report is free, but it doesn't freeze your credit, reverse a payment, close an existing account, or investigate every lead. You still need to notify the bank, creditor, credit bureau, or government agency involved.

If money or accounts are at risk right now

When fraud is active, limit the damage before you finish every FTC question.

• Call the bank, card issuer, or payment provider using the number on a statement, card, or official website. Lock the card or account, report the unauthorized activity, and ask whether you need a new account number.
• Secure your email and mobile account first. Change passwords from a trusted device, sign out other sessions, turn on multifactor authentication, and update your carrier account PIN if you suspect phone or SIM abuse.
• Place a credit freeze or fraud alert. A freeze is usually stronger when someone already has your identifying information.
• Save evidence as you go. Keep statements, notices, emails, screenshots, transaction details, and notes from every call.
• File the FTC report and use the recovery plan to organize what remains.

A payment dispute and an FTC report are separate processes. Your bank or payment provider can have its own notice rules, verification steps, and deadlines.

How to file the FTC identity theft complaint

Use the official site, IdentityTheft.gov, not a paid service or a link from an unexpected message.

1. Start the report. Choose identity theft and answer the questions in your own words.
2. Decide whether to create an account. An account makes it easier to return later. If you continue as a guest, download or print the final report before closing the session.
3. Describe the theft. Include the information used, how you found out, relevant dates, affected companies, account names, and known losses.
4. Review carefully. Use approximate dates when necessary and separate confirmed facts from suspicions.
5. Submit and save everything. Keep the Identity Theft Report, recovery plan, and report number. Store a digital copy and, if possible, a secure paper copy.
6. Follow the plan. It may direct you to creditors, credit bureaus, banks, tax agencies, or other organizations.

You don't need every statement before you begin. Start with accurate details, then add documents when an organization asks for them.

Gather these details first

Have the following nearby:

• Your name and contact information
• Date you discovered the theft
• Type of information that may have been exposed or used
• Unfamiliar accounts, inquiries, bills, or transactions
• Names of businesses or agencies involved
• Approximate amounts and dates
• Copies of notices, statements, emails, and other evidence
• Actions you've already taken, including bank case numbers

Don't send your full Social Security number through ordinary email or to an unverified contact. Use the secure portal, mailing address, or instructions from the organization handling your case.

What the FTC report number does

The report number identifies your submission. Keep it with your recovery documents because creditors, credit bureaus, and other organizations may ask for the report.

If you created an IdentityTheft.gov account, sign in to retrieve the report. If you filed as a guest and lost the document, use the site's official help or contact instructions. The FTC's consumer assistance number is 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). Don't create duplicate reports just because you misplaced the number unless the FTC tells you to.

Credit freeze or fraud alert: which one fits?

The FTC's credit freeze and fraud alert guidance explains the basic differences.

A fraud alert doesn't block every new account. A freeze doesn't close existing accounts, erase fraudulent information, or stop debit-card fraud, tax fraud, account takeover, or scams that never touch a credit report.

Place a credit freeze

You have to request the freeze separately with each bureau:

• Equifax credit freeze
• Experian credit freeze
• TransUnion credit freeze

Freezes are free and stay in place until you request a temporary lift or permanent removal. Save each bureau's login, confirmation, and any PIN or security information. If you plan to apply for credit, ask the lender which bureau it will check and lift the freeze through that bureau before applying.

Place a fraud alert

For an initial fraud alert, contact one bureau. That bureau should notify the other two. The alert is free, lasts one year, and can be renewed when it expires.

An extended fraud alert lasts seven years. Follow the bureau's instructions and provide your FTC Identity Theft Report or other accepted documents. The extended alert can include additional access to your credit file, but it isn't a replacement for a freeze.

Do you need a police report?

You can file the FTC report and freeze your credit without one. Still, a creditor, debt collector, government agency, or local investigator may ask for a police report before they act.

To request one:

1. Contact the local police department through its non-emergency number or visit its station.
2. Explain that your personal information was used in suspected identity theft.
3. Bring government-issued identification, your FTC report, account statements, notices, and other evidence.
4. Give a factual timeline and identify the affected businesses and amounts.
5. Ask for the incident or report number and find out how to obtain a copy.

Procedures vary. An agency may refer you to another jurisdiction, especially if the fraud occurred somewhere else. Keep a note of who you contacted and what they told you to do.

Prepare a police report statement

Use this outline to organize your statement. It doesn't replace the department's own form.

• Victim: [Full name and contact information]
• Date discovered: [Date]
• Information affected: [Type of information]
• What happened: [Factual description and timeline]
• Accounts or transactions: [Business, account type, date, amount]
• Evidence attached: [Statements, notices, emails, screenshots]
• FTC Identity Theft Report number: [Number, if available]
• Requested action: [Report, investigation, or documentation for a dispute]

Report what you know. If you suspect someone but can't confirm it, label that part as a possibility rather than a fact.

Dispute fraudulent accounts and credit-report entries

The FTC report doesn't delete a fraudulent account automatically. Contact the business that opened or reported the account, then dispute the item with each credit bureau showing it.

Start with the business

Ask the company to:

• Mark the account as identity theft
• Stop further unauthorized use
• Close or secure the account when appropriate
• Explain its dispute and document-submission process
• Confirm the result in writing

Use the fraud department address from a statement or official notice. Don't rely on contact details in a suspicious email or text.

Dispute the entry with the credit bureaus

Get your reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and list unfamiliar accounts, collection entries, hard inquiries, addresses, and other changes.

For each bureau reporting the item, use its official dispute process. Include:

• Account name and number, using only the digits needed for identification
• A clear statement that you didn't open or authorize the account
• A copy of the FTC Identity Theft Report
• A police report if you have one or if it is specifically requested
• Identification and proof of address when required
• Copies of supporting documents

The FTC's Fair Credit Reporting Act overview explains that consumer-reporting companies and businesses that furnish information have obligations when information is disputed. A freeze can limit some new applications, but it won't correct an account already on your report.

Keep copies of every dispute, confirmation number, delivery receipt, and response. If the item remains, ask for the reason in writing and follow the bureau's or creditor's appeal process.

Report unauthorized payments through the right channel

The payment method determines where to start.

• Credit card: Contact the card issuer and use its unauthorized-transaction or billing-dispute process.
• Debit card or electronic bank transfer: Notify the bank promptly and ask which electronic-transfer dispute form and deadline apply.
• ACH payment: Contact your bank and, when appropriate, the company that initiated the debit.
• Wire transfer: Call the sending bank immediately and request a recall or fraud review. Recovery may depend on how quickly you report the transfer.
• Prepaid card or payment app: Report the transaction through the provider's official fraud channel and secure any linked bank or card account.

The FTC report can support your explanation, but it doesn't replace the provider's required notice. Ask for a case number and written confirmation.

IRS identity theft and other government accounts

Federal tax identity theft

If someone used your information to file a fraudulent federal tax return, review the IRS guidance on when to file Form 14039. The IRS may allow Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, to be completed online or submitted on paper by mail or fax, depending on its current instructions.

If the IRS sends a letter such as 5071C, 5747C, or 4883C asking you to verify your identity, follow that letter. Don't automatically send Form 14039 instead unless the IRS instructions tell you to.

Duplicate Forms 14039 and repeated status checks can delay an identity-theft case. Submit the form once unless the IRS instructs you otherwise. The IRS also explains what to do if additional verification is required in its identity-theft victim assistance guidance.

Social Security, driver's license, or benefits fraud

No single form resolves every type of government identity theft.

• If someone changed your Social Security account or sought benefits in your name, contact the Social Security Administration through its official channels and report suspected fraud to the appropriate inspector general office.
• If a driver's license or state ID was used, contact your state's DMV or motor-vehicle agency and ask about identity-theft procedures, replacement documents, and account flags.
• If someone claimed unemployment or other state benefits in your name, contact the relevant state benefits or workforce agency.
• Keep your FTC report and police report available, but follow each agency's own forms and verification instructions.

State procedures differ. Use the official website for the state or agency involved rather than a generic form found in a search result.

Recovery timeline and record keeping

There isn't one universal deadline. Replacing a card may be quick, while a credit-report dispute, tax matter, or benefits investigation can take longer.

First day

• Lock or replace affected cards and accounts.
• Change passwords and secure email, phone, and financial logins.
• Place freezes or a fraud alert.
• File the FTC report.
• Save report numbers and confirmation emails.

Next several days

• File a police report if a business or agency requests one.
• Dispute fraudulent accounts with the creditor and credit bureaus.
• Submit IRS or state-agency forms when the facts match their instructions.
• Replace compromised identification documents.
• Ask every institution for the next step and expected response time.

Ongoing

• Review bank statements, payment-app activity, and credit reports.
• Watch for new mail, collection notices, tax letters, or account alerts.
• Follow up using the existing case number instead of opening duplicate cases.
• Update your log after every call, message, upload, and mailed document.
• Report new fraudulent activity separately and connect it to the original case.

A useful log only needs a few fields: date, organization, representative, phone number, case number, documents sent, and promised next action.

Identity theft dispute letter template

Adapt this for a bank, card issuer, creditor, or other business. Send it through the channel the company specifies.

[Date]

[Company name] [Fraud or dispute department] [Official address or secure submission method]

Subject: Identity theft dispute for account [account identifier]

I am disputing an account or transaction that I did not open, authorize, or receive.

The activity is: [brief description]

Date discovered: [date]

Approximate amount: [$ amount]

Account or transaction reference: [number or last four digits]

Please investigate the activity, secure or close the affected account when appropriate, and confirm in writing how the fraudulent information will be handled. My FTC Identity Theft Report number is [number]. My police report number is [number], if applicable.

Attached are copies of [list of documents]. Please tell me if you need additional information through a secure channel.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Address]

[Phone or secure contact information]

Don't include more personal information than the recipient needs. Use a secure upload portal or verified mailing address, and keep proof that you sent the dispute.

Mistakes that slow recovery

• Filing only with the FTC. The report organizes your case, but banks, creditors, and agencies still need direct notice.
• Freezing only one bureau. A freeze must be placed separately with all three nationwide bureaus.
• Treating a freeze and an alert as the same thing. An alert asks lenders to verify identity; a freeze restricts access to your credit file.
• Assuming a freeze fixes existing fraud. It won't remove an account or reverse an unauthorized payment.
• Using the wrong payment dispute process. Credit card, debit, ACH, wire, prepaid, and payment-app disputes can follow different procedures.
• Sending duplicate IRS forms. Follow the IRS instructions and keep the confirmation instead of resubmitting.
• Sharing sensitive data insecurely. Verify the recipient before sending a Social Security number, identification, or account statement.
• Reporting guesses as facts. Keep FTC and police reports accurate and specific.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a police report before filing with the FTC?

No. You can file the FTC report without a police report. A police report may still help with a creditor, agency, or investigation.

Can I freeze my credit without an FTC report?

Yes. Anyone can request a free credit freeze. You must contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately.

Does an FTC identity theft report remove a fraudulent debt?

No. It can support a dispute or identity-theft block request, but you must notify the business and credit bureaus and follow their procedures.

How do I report identity theft to the IRS?

If your information was used for a fraudulent tax return, review the IRS instructions for Form 14039. If the IRS sent a verification letter, follow that letter's instructions first.

What if I lost my FTC report number?

Sign in to your IdentityTheft.gov account if you created one. If you filed as a guest, use the site's official help or contact instructions. Keep any downloaded report, confirmation email, or printed copy you still have.

These steps are for U.S. consumers. Police, DMV, benefits, and state-agency procedures vary by location, so use the official instructions from the organization handling the specific fraud. Start with the FTC report, then contact the institution holding the money or account. Keep every case number and confirmation until the item is resolved.