How to Report Identity Theft to the FTC and Get a Recovery Plan

What happens when you report identity theft to the FTC?

IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government's one-stop resource for identity theft victims. It is operated by the Federal Trade Commission. The service asks questions about what happened and uses your answers to create an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan.

The FTC does not resolve individual identity theft reports for you. It collects reports and enters them into Consumer Sentinel, a secure database used by civil and criminal law enforcement authorities. Your IdentityTheft.gov recovery plan instead gives you specific steps for dealing with the businesses, credit bureaus and other organizations affected by the theft.

What should you gather before filing the report?

Gather enough information to describe what happened and identify the fraudulent activity you know about. This can include unfamiliar accounts or transactions from your credit reports, fraudulent charges, bills, collection notices, IRS notices or communications from businesses where your information was misused.

The FTC says to provide as many details as possible. How much personal information you provide is generally up to you, but the FTC states that it cannot take your identity theft report without your name and telephone number.

You do not need to finish every recovery task before reporting. In fact, the report is designed to generate a plan telling you what to do next based on your situation.

How do you file the FTC identity theft report?

You can complete the federal identity theft reporting process online at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC also lists 1-877-438-4338 as the telephone reporting option.

During the online process, answer the questions about how your identity was misused and include known fraudulent accounts, charges or other problems. IdentityTheft.gov uses those details to generate your FTC Identity Theft Report and recovery plan.

There is no FTC fee for using the federal identity theft recovery service.

What is an FTC Identity Theft Report?

The FTC Identity Theft Report documents your report that someone stole and misused your identity. The FTC explains that it helps prove to businesses that identity theft occurred and makes it easier to correct problems caused by the theft.

Businesses may ask you to provide a copy when you request closure of a fraudulent account or removal of fraudulent charges. The report is also important when exercising identity theft rights involving your credit reports.

Keep the report with your recovery records. You may need to provide copies to different organizations as you work through the damage caused by the theft.

What does the personalized recovery plan do?

IdentityTheft.gov creates a recovery plan based on the information you provide. The steps can include closing accounts opened in your name, removing fraudulent charges, correcting your credit reports and taking measures to prevent additional misuse.

If you create an IdentityTheft.gov account, the FTC says the service can walk you through each recovery step, update your plan as needed, track your progress and pre-fill forms and letters.

If you choose not to create an account, you can still receive the report and recovery plan, but the FTC instructs you to print and save them immediately. Once you leave the page, you will not be able to access or update them through that session.

What should you do right away?

The FTC's recovery steps begin with contacting companies where you know fraud occurred. Call the fraud department, explain that someone stole your identity and ask the business to close or freeze the affected accounts. Change logins, passwords and PINs for compromised accounts.

The FTC also recommends protecting your credit. A free initial fraud alert lasts one year and tells businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. You only need to contact one of the three nationwide credit bureaus to place an initial fraud alert; that bureau must notify the other two.

A credit freeze is different. It restricts access to your credit report and can help prevent new credit accounts from being opened in your name. A freeze is free, lasts until you lift it and must be placed separately with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

How do you use the report with businesses?

For a new account opened fraudulently, contact the business's fraud department and explain that your identity was stolen. Ask it to close the account. The FTC recommends asking for written confirmation that the account is not yours, you are not liable for it and it was removed from your credit report.

A business may require a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report or its own dispute form. Keep the business's confirmation letter in case the account later reappears on your credit report.

For fraudulent charges on an existing account, identify the charges you did not make, ask the business to remove them and request written confirmation of the correction. Keep a record of each contact and copies of what you send.

How do you correct your credit report after identity theft?

The FTC instructs identity theft victims to identify fraudulent information on their credit reports and ask the credit bureaus to block it. Your request should identify the information resulting from identity theft and include a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report and proof of your identity.

Federal identity theft protections require a consumer reporting agency, subject to the applicable requirements and exceptions, to block information identified as resulting from identity theft after it receives the required proof of identity, identity theft report, identification of the fraudulent information and the consumer's statement that the information does not relate to a transaction by the consumer.

The FTC's recovery guidance recommends keeping copies of letters you send and recording who you contacted and when.

Can your FTC report help you get an extended fraud alert?

Yes. After experiencing identity theft and completing an FTC identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov, you can request an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years. A police report can also be used for this purpose.

An extended fraud alert is free. You only need to contact one of the three nationwide credit bureaus; the bureau you contact must notify the other two. The alert tells businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit and also removes you from unsolicited credit and insurance offer marketing lists for five years unless you ask otherwise.

Do you also need to file a police report?

The FTC's recovery process says you may choose to file a report with your local police department. IdentityTheft.gov can already create an FTC Identity Theft Report, but some businesses may request a police report for particular recovery steps.

If you file locally, the FTC recommends taking your FTC Identity Theft Report, a government-issued photo ID, proof of your address and other evidence of the theft, such as bills or IRS notices. Ask for a copy of the police report because you may need it later.

What if your information was exposed but has not been misused?

A data breach and identity theft are not necessarily the same event. If your information was exposed but you have not found evidence that someone used it fraudulently, IdentityTheft.gov provides data-breach recovery guidance based on the type of information exposed.

You can still protect your credit. The FTC says anyone can place a credit freeze at any time, and someone who suspects they may be affected by identity theft can place a free initial fraud alert.

What if the theft involves government benefits, taxes or official documents?

Your IdentityTheft.gov plan may direct you to additional agencies or organizations depending on how your information was misused. Follow the situation-specific steps generated by the federal service rather than assuming that the FTC report alone corrects every account or government record.

If an identity thief has taken or misused an identity document, you may also need the issuing agency's replacement process. Helpydo has separate procedures for replacing a lost or stolen Social Security card, replacing a lost or stolen U.S. passport and replacing a driver's license or state ID.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not leave the IdentityTheft.gov process without saving your report and recovery plan if you did not create an account.
• Do not assume reporting to the FTC automatically closes fraudulent accounts. Follow the recovery plan and contact the affected businesses.
• Do not ignore unfamiliar accounts or transactions on your credit reports; identify them when reporting and disputing the theft.
• Do not confuse a fraud alert with a credit freeze. An alert tells businesses to verify identity, while a freeze restricts access to your credit report.
• Do not assume contacting one credit bureau creates a credit freeze at all three. For a freeze, contact each bureau separately.
• Keep copies of reports, dispute letters, business confirmations and supporting documents so you can use them if fraudulent information returns.