Identity Theft Victim Assistance

1. Review Your Credit Report and Accounts

Reviewing copies of your latest credit reports from each of the three national consumer credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) can help you spot attempts to open fraudulent credit accounts in your name. You can get free weekly reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Experian also provides free daily access to your credit report through a free membership, which includes credit monitoring.

Pay special attention to the following sections of your credit reports when you suspect identity theft:

• Inquiries: This section includes information on lenders that have conducted credit checks in response to new credit applications. If you see an inquiry for a credit application you don't recognize, contact the lender for more information. Fraudulent inquiries can be a sign of attempted identity theft, even if no new account was opened.
• Accounts: This section shows loans and credit cards opened in your name. If you see any unfamiliar accounts, contact the lender immediately so they can investigate. Be aware, however, that these could be legitimate accounts that are being reported under a business name that's unfamiliar to you.

Tip: Unfamiliar credit report entries may be harmless, like a lender financing your new cellphone. But if you can't confirm the reason for an entry, work with the lender to resolve it.

Learn more: What to Look for When You Review Your Credit Report

2. File an Identity Theft Report

If you confirm that a lender has received a credit application or issued a loan or credit to someone in your name, start by reporting identity theft on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website, IdentityTheft.gov. The site provides step-by-step guidance on which authorities to notify about different kinds of fraud and identity theft. You can also report fraud to the FTC by phone at 877-438-4338.

Where else to file a report depends on the type of fraud committed, but may include:

• Your local police: You may need to file a report with law enforcement in the jurisdiction where you live if creditors, financial institutions or other entities require it to investigate the fraud, or if you have information that could help the police.
• The IRS: If your Social Security number (SSN) has been stolen, thieves may try to claim your tax refund by filing a bogus tax return. You can check for tax fraud and report potential identity theft at the IRS website or by phoning 800-908-4490.
• The FBI: If you believe your personal information has been used to commit online fraud, report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
• Your state's motor vehicles department: If your driver's license is lost or stolen, report it immediately to your state motor vehicles department. A driver's license can be used to get other personal credentials such as a birth certificate or Social Security Card.
• The U.S. State Department: If your passport is lost or stolen, criminals could use it to steal your identity. Contact the U.S. State Department passport agency right away.
• The U.S. Postal Service: If identity theft was committed through postal mail, file a report with the Postal Inspection Service as soon as possible.

Learn more: How to Report Identity Theft

3. Place a Fraud Alert or Security Freeze

You have the right to place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file. Both help protect you from potential future fraud, but they do so in different ways. Both services are free.

• A fraud alert instructs lenders and credit issuers to verify your identity before processing credit applications made in your name.
• A security freeze limits access to your credit report by potential new creditors and others legally permitted to review your credit.

Fraud Alerts

There are three types of fraud alerts:

• An initial fraud alert can be placed at any time, even if you are not a victim or identity theft, at the Experian Fraud Alert Center. An initial fraud alert stays on your credit file for one year unless you remove it sooner; it can be renewed indefinitely.
• An extended fraud alert can only be used by victims of identity theft or other credit fraud. Sometimes called a fraud victim statement, it remains on your credit report for seven years. To set an extended fraud alert, you must provide a copy of an identity theft report you've filed with a law enforcement agency.
• An active-duty alert is available to U.S. service members on assignment away from home. Like an initial fraud alert, it lasts one year but can be renewed or removed before it expires.

You can remove any fraud alert before its expiration date by returning to the Experian Fraud Alert Center.

Tip: Placing a fraud alert at any one of the three national credit bureaus automatically triggers one at the other two. However, you must contact each bureau separately to remove a fraud alert.

Security Freezes

A security freeze (also known as a credit freeze) limits access to your credit file by lenders and others legally allowed to view your report. If an identity thief applies for credit in your name while a security freeze is in place, the lender can't view your credit file to process the application.

In addition to preventing unauthorized credit checks, security freezes may also prevent authorized ones. If you plan to apply for credit, you can unfreeze your credit either temporarily or permanently to allow creditors to view your credit report.

You must contact each credit bureau separately to place or lift a security freeze.

Learn more: Fraud Alert vs. Credit Freeze: What's the Difference?

4. Dispute Inaccurate Information

If identity theft has affected your credit report, disputing erroneous information is your next step. Because your credit report is the basis for your credit score, inaccurate information could hurt your credit. You have the right to dispute the items on your credit report online, by mail or over the phone with each of the national credit bureaus. The information will be investigated and verified, updated or deleted from your report depending on the results.

Each credit bureau has its own procedure for filing a dispute. If the same inaccuracy appears on multiple credit reports, you must submit disputes to each bureau separately.

Additional Identity Theft Resources

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, the following resources can help:

• Experian Fraud Division: 888-397-3742
• Equifax Fraud Division: 800-525-6285
• TransUnion Fraud Division: 800-680-7289
• Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

If identity theft has impacted your finances, there are resources to help you recover. Staying vigilant for signs of identity theft can help you spot red flags. Experian's free credit monitoring alerts you of changes to your credit report that could signal fraud. You can also get a free one-time dark web scan from Experian to see if your sensitive information is on the dark web.

Paid premium memberships for some identity monitoring services offer additional types of monitoring, such as financial account and Social Security number monitoring, which can provide extra peace of mind. They may also provide fraud resolution support and identity theft insurance to help cover the cost of recovering from identity theft.