To reduce the risk of identity theft, protect sensitive information, secure your accounts, check statements and credit reports for unfamiliar activity, and consider a free credit freeze. If you find signs of misuse, contact the affected company, secure the account, and report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov. No single safeguard prevents every kind of identity theft, so the right response depends on what information or account was misused.
Protect personal information before it is misused
Secure paper records and mail
Keep Social Security and Medicare cards, financial records, and other documents containing personal or financial information somewhere secure. Take incoming mail from your mailbox promptly. When disposing of sensitive records, the FTC’s What To Know About Identity Theft, updated September 2024, advises: “When you decide to get rid of them, shred them before you throw them away.” A cross-cut shredder is one option; a community shred event or obscuring account numbers with a marker can also help when you do not have one.
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Be selective about sharing your Social Security number
When an organization asks for your Social Security number (SSN), ask why it is needed, how it will be protected, whether another identifier will work, or whether the last four digits are enough. The FTC warns that an unexpected call, email, or text asking for your SSN is a scam signal. Do not give personal information to unsolicited callers, emailers, or texters, even if they claim to represent a familiar organization.
Make online accounts harder to access
Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available. MFA requires two or more credentials, making it harder for someone with only your username and password to get into an account. It is a useful barrier, not a guarantee: keep watching for suspicious activity and act if an account appears compromised.
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Decide whether a credit freeze or fraud alert fits
Both tools can make it harder for someone to open new credit in your name, but they work differently. A freeze restricts prospective lenders’ access to your credit report; a fraud alert asks businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit.
| Protection | How it works | Where to set it up | Practical trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit freeze | Blocks prospective lenders from accessing your credit report, which can make opening new credit harder for an identity thief. | Contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately to freeze each report. | Free and does not affect your credit score. You may need to lift the freeze when applying for credit. |
| Initial fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit. | Contact one of the three credit bureaus; it must notify the other two. | Free and lasts one year, according to FTC recovery guidance. It asks for identity verification rather than restricting report access. |
The FTC describes these as related but distinct protections. You can use both, depending on your circumstances. A freeze or alert concerns new-credit applications; neither replaces checking reports or securing accounts that may already be compromised. The FTC’s freeze guidance explains the separate bureau setup, while its recovery guidance describes the one-year initial fraud alert.
Check for warning signs without assuming every one proves fraud
Review bills, bank statements, and credit reports routinely. Investigate activity you do not recognize; any one sign is a reason to check, not proof by itself. The FTC identifies these possible warning signs:
- A bill, charge, or bank withdrawal you did not make.
- A debt-collection call about a debt you do not recognize.
- An expected bill that stops arriving. A billing-address change could explain it, so verify with the company.
- An unfamiliar account or transaction on a credit report.
If you see something suspicious, contact the relevant company using a contact method you know to be legitimate. The FTC’s identity-theft warning-sign and recovery guidance recommends reviewing reports and following up on unfamiliar activity.
What to do if you find identity theft
Move quickly to limit further access, preserve a record of what happened, and use the recovery instructions that match the type of misuse. The FTC’s recovery guidance describes these steps:
- Contact each affected company. Ask its fraud department to close or freeze the compromised account. Change that account’s login, password, and PIN.
- Place a fraud alert and review your credit reports. You can request reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. FTC recovery guidance from September 2024 described free weekly availability at that time; check the site for current access details. Look for accounts and transactions you do not recognize. If you do not already have a freeze, consider placing one with all three bureaus.
- Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC says the site can provide a free personalized recovery plan and generate an Identity Theft Report, letters, and forms to help with your case.
- Keep records and follow the plan for your situation. Save notes of calls and copies of correspondence. Identity theft can involve different kinds of information and accounts, so use the steps that fit the misuse you experienced.
If the problem began with a data-breach notice
Use the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov/databreach guidance for steps related to the information exposed. If the organization offers free monitoring, the FTC says you may take advantage of it. Monitoring is not a replacement for reviewing accounts or considering a freeze.
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Tax identity theft
A rejected tax return can have several causes, so rejection alone does not establish identity theft. The FTC says an IRS message that another return has already been filed using your SSN, or income reported from an employer you do not know, can indicate misuse. Report the issue through IdentityTheft.gov; its process can provide an FTC Identity Theft Report, an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, and a recovery plan. IRS Form 14039 is also available for submission by mail; follow the IRS instructions for your case.
For prevention, the FTC recommends enabling two-factor authentication on tax-preparation accounts and filing early if possible. If you suspect your SSN was used for employment, review your Social Security Administration (SSA) work history and contact the SSA about errors. The FTC also describes E-Verify’s SSN lock feature as a way to make unauthorized employment use harder. Follow the relevant agency’s current instructions.
Unemployment-benefit identity theft
If you are contacted about unemployment benefits you did not apply for, notify your employer and state workforce agency, then report the misuse to the FTC. In February 2026 guidance, the FTC also recommended freezing reports with all three bureaus, checking free weekly credit reports, disputing unfamiliar accounts, and considering an IRS Identity Protection PIN for tax protection.
Do you need a paid identity-protection service?
No subscription is required to use the official steps described here. Monitoring and recovery services may watch certain information, send alerts, or help with recovery tasks, but what they cover varies, and monitoring cannot prevent all misuse. A data-breach response may include monitoring at no cost, so check what is offered before paying for overlapping coverage.
Some monitoring services include or offer identity-theft insurance. The FTC says such insurance may cover certain recovery expenses, lost wages, or legal fees, but generally does not reimburse money stolen by scammers. Before relying on a policy, check covered expenses, exclusions, deductibles, and possible overlap with homeowners or renters insurance.
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