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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11If someone used your personal information or tried to enter an account, act in this order: contain the known fraud with the company involved, protect your email and other logins, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov, check your credit files, and keep a written record of every action. The Federal Trade Commission’s recovery plan changes according to the type of identity theft, and the affected company may require its own forms or recovery process.
This U.S.-focused guide explains what to do even when an attempt failed. You do not need to wait for a confirmed financial loss before changing exposed credentials, ending unauthorized sessions, and adding stronger sign-in protection.
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1. Contain the known fraud first
Start with the business, bank, card issuer, email provider, social network, or other service where the suspicious activity occurred. Use the telephone number on a statement, card, or the company’s official website rather than a number in an unexpected message. Ask to be transferred to the fraud or account-security department.
Ask the provider to lock down the affected account
- Explain what you saw, when you saw it, and which transactions, profile changes, messages, or login alerts are not yours.
- Request that the account be closed, frozen, or otherwise restricted while the investigation takes place. A provider may use a different term or require an internal security hold.
- Change the account’s password and PIN. If you cannot sign in, use the service’s official account-recovery process; do not follow recovery links supplied by a suspicious caller or email.
- Ask how to dispute unauthorized charges or activity and whether the company needs an FTC Identity Theft Report, an affidavit, identification, or its own fraud form.
- Ask for a case number, the name or identification of the representative, the submission address, and the expected response time.
The FTC’s recovery checklist starts with contacting the company where the fraud happened and asking it to close or freeze the account. Its procedures are not a substitute for the provider’s own investigation, so follow both sets of instructions. Read the current checklist at IdentityTheft.gov Steps.
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- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5C NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5C NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
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- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
Stop further losses while a dispute is open
Review recent statements, pending transactions, shipping addresses, beneficiaries, automatic payments, and contact details. Tell the provider which items are legitimate and which are not. If a payment card, checkbook, or account number was exposed, ask whether it should be replaced and whether recurring merchants must be updated. Do not assume that deleting a suspicious email or changing one password resolves activity already submitted under your name.
Keep a dated incident log from the first call onward. Record the time, department, representative, case number, promises made, documents sent, and the date you expect a reply. Save screenshots of alerts and downloaded statements in a location an intruder cannot access.
2. Secure email before changing everything else
Email is a priority because password-reset links and security notices often arrive there. If an attacker controls your inbox, a new password on another service can be reset again. Secure the mailbox first, then work through financial, shopping, cloud, social, work, and government accounts.
Replace exposed or reused passwords
- Change the email password from the provider’s official site or app. Use a new password that has never been used elsewhere.
- Change every account that used the exposed password, a close variation, or the same security question. Reuse lets one stolen credential unlock multiple services.
- Give each account a unique, long password. A password manager can generate and store unique credentials; CISA explains the setup and use of password managers in its password-manager guidance.
- Change passwords from a device and network you trust. If malware or an unknown browser extension may be present, use a different clean device for the reset and investigate the original device separately.
Do not send a password, one-time code, or recovery code to someone who contacts you unexpectedly. Legitimate support staff should not need your complete password.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key C NFC via USB-C and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
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End unauthorized access and repair recovery settings
In the account’s security or sessions page, sign out of all other devices and revoke unknown browsers, applications, and connected services. Check forwarding rules and filters in email, because an intruder can silently copy future messages or hide warnings. Review the recovery email address, phone number, backup codes, trusted devices, and security questions. Remove entries you did not add and replace compromised recovery methods.
If the account is already inaccessible, use only the provider’s published recovery page. The FTC’s advice for hacked email and social accounts is at How To Recover Your Hacked Email or Social Media Account. Its related alert explains immediate checks for a compromised email or social profile at Email or social media hacked? Here’s what to do.
Protect high-impact accounts next
After email, secure accounts that can move money, reset other credentials, expose personal records, or control your phone number. Prioritize banks, cards, payment services, tax and government portals, cloud storage, mobile-carrier accounts, and workplace systems. Check recent sign-ins, profile edits, new payees, forwarding destinations, app permissions, and recovery changes. Tell the organization’s fraud team about anything unauthorized before deleting evidence.
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Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires your password plus another factor. The FTC summarizes the benefit this way: “Using two-factor authentication means a hacker who steals your password can’t log in to your account without another authentication factor.” Read its current options at Use Two-Factor Authentication To Protect Your Accounts.
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- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
| Method | What you do at sign-in | Security and practical considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Authenticator app | Enter a time-based code generated in an app, or approve a prompt, after entering the password. | The FTC recommends an authenticator app over text or email codes when the service supports it. Protect the app and save the service’s recovery instructions in a secure place. |
| Hardware security key | Insert, tap, or otherwise use the physical key after entering the password. | The FTC describes security keys as the strongest method among those covered. Compatibility varies by service and device; a key is optional and does not replace reporting fraud or contacting the provider. |
| Text message or email code | Enter a code sent to the registered phone number or email address. | These are easier to deploy but the FTC identifies text and email codes as the least secure of the discussed methods. Use them when stronger choices are unavailable, and secure the underlying phone and mailbox. |
Turn on 2FA in every important account that offers it, beginning with email and financial services. Generate new backup codes after a compromise and store them offline or in a protected password manager. If your phone number may have been hijacked, ask your carrier about account protections and do not rely on SMS alone until the number is secured.
4. File an FTC identity-theft report and preserve proof
Submit the incident at IdentityTheft.gov. The service creates an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan. The plan adapts to the type of misuse—such as a financial account, government benefit, phone service, tax matter, medical record, utility account, or criminal impersonation—so answer the questions as accurately as you can, even if the attempted fraud did not produce a completed transaction.
Save the documents the site produces
- Download or print the FTC Identity Theft Report and the personalized recovery plan.
- Keep the confirmation number and submission date with your incident log.
- Use the report when a company requests proof of identity theft or when you ask a credit bureau for an extended fraud alert.
- Store copies outside the compromised account, such as on an encrypted drive or in a secure physical file.
The report helps explain the incident to companies and supports certain rights in credit-report recovery, but it does not automatically close accounts or erase charges. Continue each provider’s dispute process and meet its deadlines.
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Keep copies of letters, forms, identity documents, screenshots, statements, shipping records, police reports if one is made, and every response. When you send a document, note the delivery method and date. Ask companies for written confirmation that an account was closed, a fraudulent charge was removed, or a correction was submitted. Written confirmation is useful if the same item appears again or a credit bureau asks for supporting evidence.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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5. Review your credit reports and choose a protection
Examine reports from all three nationwide credit bureaus for accounts, inquiries, collection items, addresses, employers, and personal information you do not recognize. Mark the date you reviewed each report and dispute inaccurate or fraudulent entries with the bureau and the business that supplied the information. The FTC explains these rights and the supporting documents at IdentityTheft.gov’s identity-theft rights page.
| Protection | How to place it | Duration and effect | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | Contact one of the three nationwide credit bureaus. That bureau must notify the other two. | Lasts one year. It asks prospective creditors to take steps to verify your identity before extending new credit; it does not block access to your reports. | Useful when you suspect misuse and want an added identity check without separately contacting all three bureaus. |
| Extended fraud alert | Contact a bureau and provide an FTC Identity Theft Report and any information it requires. | Lasts seven years for eligible identity-theft victims. It places longer-term verification requirements on new-credit applications. | Appropriate when identity theft has been established and you want protection beyond the initial year. |
| Credit freeze | Request it separately from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. | Free and remains until you lift or remove it. Creditors generally cannot access a frozen report, subject to applicable exceptions, which can make opening new accounts harder. | Strongest choice when new-account fraud is a major concern and you can plan ahead for legitimate applications. |
The FTC states, “A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name.” A freeze can delay a legitimate application because you must temporarily lift it or provide access through the bureau’s process. Ask a prospective lender which bureau it will check and allow time to lift the freeze before applying. Existing creditors and certain permitted users may still access a report under applicable exceptions.
An alert and a freeze are not substitutes for disputing an account that already exists. Use the company’s fraud process and the credit bureau dispute process to correct existing records. Recheck reports after responses arrive and continue monitoring for unfamiliar activity.
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If the attacker changed your email or phone
Use the provider’s “can’t access this account” or equivalent recovery path from a clean device. Provide the requested ownership evidence through the official portal. Contact the provider’s fraud department separately if money, identity documents, or messages were exposed. Once access returns, change the password, sign out other sessions, remove unknown recovery methods, regenerate backup codes, and inspect forwarding rules.
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If a phone or SIM may be involved
Call the mobile carrier using its official contact channel and report an unauthorized number transfer or SIM change. Ask what account-level protections and identity checks are available. Then reset passwords for accounts that use that number for recovery and replace SMS verification with an authenticator app or security key where possible.
If a work or school account is affected
Notify the organization’s security or information-technology team immediately. Do not keep experimenting with a locked account if that could trigger more alerts or destroy logs. The organization may need to revoke sessions, rotate credentials, preserve evidence, and determine whether other users or systems were exposed.
7. Recognize warning signs that require another round of action
Continue checking for signs after the first response. The FTC’s warning-sign reference is available at IdentityTheft.gov Warning Signs of Identity Theft. Treat any of these as a reason to update your log and contact the relevant provider:
- Unfamiliar bills, account statements, credit inquiries, collection notices, or account-opening confirmations.
- Password-reset messages, multifactor prompts, or login alerts you did not initiate.
- Changes to your mailing address, email, phone number, recovery settings, or security questions.
- Unknown purchases, transfers, payees, shipping addresses, or financial applications.
- Government, medical, utility, tax, employment, or insurance correspondence about an event you did not request.
- Friends, colleagues, or customers receiving messages that you did not send.
Do not click an alert merely because it looks urgent. Open the provider’s app or type its known address yourself, then compare the activity with your records.
8. Follow-up schedule and common mistakes
Use a simple timeline
- Immediately: Contact the affected company, request a freeze or closure, change the related credentials, and preserve evidence.
- Same day: Secure email, end other sessions, check recovery details, and enable the strongest available 2FA.
- As soon as practical: File at IdentityTheft.gov, save the report and plan, and complete each provider’s dispute forms.
- After reporting: Review all three credit reports and place an initial alert, extended alert, or freezes according to the likely risk and your upcoming credit needs.
- Ongoing: Track written responses, confirm corrections, review statements and sign-in notices, and revisit protections when an alert expires or a legitimate application requires a temporary freeze lift.
Avoid these recovery mistakes
- Changing only the password on the account where you noticed fraud while leaving a reused password active elsewhere.
- Leaving an attacker’s recovery email, phone number, forwarding rule, application token, or logged-in session in place.
- Assuming a credit freeze removes fraudulent accounts that are already on a report.
- Relying on a text message code when an authenticator app or security key is available.
- Sending original documents without retaining copies or failing to obtain written confirmation.
- Using contact details from an unsolicited message instead of the provider’s official site or statement.
- Ignoring a second warning because the first account was closed.
Specialized identity theft can require additional agencies and forms. Tax, medical, child, government-benefit, utility, phone, checking-account, and criminal-impersonation cases are addressed through the tailored steps in the FTC recovery plan. Follow that plan and the affected organization’s instructions rather than treating every incident as a standard credit-card dispute.
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