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What to Do If Your Stolen Personal Information Is Being Used

If someone is using your personal information, secure affected accounts, report the theft, protect your credit files, and follow the right dispute or agency process.

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If someone is using your personal information, contact the affected companies’ fraud departments first to secure or close the accounts. Then report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov, save your recovery plan, protect your credit files, and dispute fraudulent accounts or charges. These steps are for people in the United States; specialized misuse, such as tax or benefit fraud, may require a separate agency process.

Secure the accounts and services being misused

For every company where you see unauthorized activity, contact its fraud department using a contact method you independently verify. Ask the company to freeze or close the affected account and explain what it needs to investigate the fraud. If an account is compromised, change its password, login details, and PIN. Change any reused credentials on other accounts, too.

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Keep a record of each contact: the date, the company, the person or department you spoke with, what you reported, and any next steps or case number. Save copies of messages and letters. Ask the company to confirm in writing when it corrects a fraudulent account or charge and that you are not responsible for it.

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Report the identity theft and save your recovery plan

Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uses the information you provide to create an Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan. The FTC says, “Your identity theft report proves to businesses that someone stole your identity.”

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If you create an account on the site, you can track recovery steps and have forms prefilled. If you do not create an account, save or print the report and plan before leaving the page so you have them for disputes and your records. Reporting gives you documentation and a plan; it does not itself resolve your disputes with individual businesses. You still need to contact those businesses and any relevant government agencies.

Choose the right credit protection

A fraud alert and a credit freeze are different tools. Both are free, but they work differently and have different setup requirements.

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Protection What it does How to set it up and when it may help
One-year fraud alert Asks businesses to verify your identity before granting new credit. Contact one of the three nationwide credit bureaus; that bureau must notify the other two. The alert is free and lasts one year.
Extended fraud alert Provides a fraud alert that lasts seven years. Available to identity-theft victims with an FTC Identity Theft Report. Contact a bureau and provide the required documentation.
Credit freeze Restricts access to your credit report, which can make it harder for someone to open new credit in your name. Request a freeze separately from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. It is free to place and remove. You may need to lift it when applying for legitimate credit.

A fraud alert prompts extra identity checks; it does not restrict access to your credit report. A freeze does restrict access, but it is not a substitute for reporting fraud on an existing account or disputing an account someone already opened.

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Check your credit reports and challenge unfamiliar entries

Get reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com. The FTC says you can check your reports weekly for free. Look for accounts, inquiries, or other information you do not recognize, and keep a copy or note of each item you plan to dispute.

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For fraudulent information on a credit report, send the bureau your FTC Identity Theft Report, proof of identity, and a letter that clearly identifies the fraudulent entries and asks the bureau to block them. The FTC says credit bureaus must honor a qualifying request to block identity-theft information. The report can also help stop creditors from reporting fraudulent accounts or sending the debt to collectors.

Contact the business associated with each account or transaction as well as the credit bureau. Explain what is fraudulent, ask for the account or charge to be corrected, and request written confirmation that you are not liable. Keep copies of everything you send and notes of calls. The FTC provides sample letters for credit-card charges, debit-card transactions, fraudulent new accounts, and credit-bureau disputes.

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Follow the agency route for specialized identity theft

Some types of misuse require steps beyond credit bureaus and the affected company. Use the matching recovery path on IdentityTheft.gov and follow any instructions in an official notice. Examples include:

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  • Tax identity theft: Follow the instructions in any IRS letter you receive. The FTC notes that a case may require IRS Form 14039.
  • Government-benefit fraud: Contact the agency that issued the benefit and follow its reporting process.
  • Medical, utility, or phone account misuse: Contact the provider or company involved and use the relevant IdentityTheft.gov guidance.
  • Child identity theft, checking-account misuse, or Social Security number misuse: Follow the dedicated IdentityTheft.gov route and any instructions from the relevant agency or institution.

Be wary of unexpected callers who claim your Social Security number is suspended or demand money while pretending to represent the Social Security Administration. The FTC warns that SSA does not threaten people or demand payment by wire, cash, or gift cards. Do not give sensitive information to an unexpected caller; find and use an official contact route independently.

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