Consumer Protection, Fraud & Lemon Law · Fraud and identity theft
Identity theft: the recovery steps
In this guide
- The FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov creates an official report and a personalized recovery plan.
- Credit freezes are free at all three nationwide credit bureaus.
- California law gives identity theft victims the right to file a police report where they live.
The usual recovery steps
- Contact the companies involved. Call the fraud department of each bank, card issuer or business where fraud occurred, and close or freeze affected accounts.
- Report to the FTC. IdentityTheft.gov creates an Identity Theft Report and a step-by-step plan with pre-filled letters.
- Freeze or flag credit. A credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and blocks most new credit. A fraud alert lasts one year; an extended alert for identity theft victims lasts seven years.
- File a police report. California law lets identity theft victims file a report with their local police or sheriff, who must take it and provide a copy.
- Dispute fraudulent items. Credit bureaus must block information that results from identity theft when they receive a proper request with an Identity Theft Report.
Other places to check
- Taxes: the IRS offers an Identity Protection PIN and a process for tax-related identity theft.
- Driver’s license: the DMV handles license misuse.
- Medical identity theft: reviewing explanation-of-benefits statements can reveal care billed in someone’s name.
Common questions
Does a credit freeze affect a credit score?
No. A freeze does not affect credit scores, and it can be lifted temporarily when applying for credit.
Official sources for this guide
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