An Identity Theft Report can give you a starting point when someone uses your information to open an account or commit other fraud. The report is also a document to keep handy when you contact credit reporting companies. But filing it does not, by itself, answer every question about what a bureau needs or how it will handle information on your credit report.
Keep your Identity Theft Report and recovery plan together, and record the dates you contact each credit reporting company.
Start with the report and recovery plan
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises identity theft victims to close compromised accounts, report the theft to local police and at IdentityTheft.gov, and place a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit reports. According to the CFPB’s identity theft guidance, filing at IdentityTheft.gov produces an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan.
The recovery plan walks through next steps in order. Keep a copy of the report and plan with any notes about the affected accounts. A simple record can include the company you contacted, the date, what you sent and any response you received. Those details can help you keep separate conversations from running together.
Before sending a report to a credit bureau, check that bureau’s current consumer instructions. The sources reviewed for this article do not explain in usable detail which documents each bureau requires, how to submit them or how its review proceeds. Do not assume that filing at IdentityTheft.gov automatically completes a request with every bureau.
Use the report when contacting credit bureaus
Start by identifying the credit reporting company you need to contact and the information you believe resulted from the theft. Have your Identity Theft Report available as you review the company’s instructions. Ask how to submit it, what other information is needed and how you can check the status of your request.
Keep copies of what you submit and note the date and method of submission. If a bureau responds, save that response with your records. These steps create a paper trail, but they do not guarantee a particular outcome.
The sources reviewed do not establish how long bureaus have to act on an Identity Theft Report or what to do if information remains after processing. They also do not establish whether state rules add protections. For more information, consult the CFPB’s guidance on remedying the effects of identity theft and the consumer assistance pages of the relevant bureau.
Choose a fraud alert or a security freeze
A fraud alert or security freeze is a separate step from filing your Identity Theft Report. The CFPB lists both as options for protecting credit after identity theft, alongside closing compromised accounts and reporting the theft.
A security freeze prevents prospective creditors from accessing a credit file, which can help stop an identity thief from opening new credit accounts in your name. To freeze files at all three nationwide credit reporting companies, you must contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately. The CFPB’s freeze guidance says you can do this through their websites.
A freeze can also affect your own plans. Creditors typically need access to your file to approve new credit, so your application can be blocked while the freeze is in place. You can unfreeze your file for free, but the sources reviewed do not provide the exact steps or timing. Check each bureau’s instructions if you expect to apply for credit.
A fraud alert is another option to investigate. The sources reviewed do not provide enough detail here to compare its duration or operation with a freeze. The FTC’s credit freezes and fraud alerts page is a place to check the current details before deciding which step fits your situation.
Know what is free and who can still see your file
Placing and lifting a security freeze is free at the three nationwide credit reporting companies. You can still request and review your own credit files while they are frozen. The federal law requiring free security freezes does not apply to requests for credit reports for employment, tenant-screening or insurance purposes.
A freeze also does not close access to everyone. The CFPB says a limited group can still see the file, including creditors on accounts you already hold, certain government entities such as child support agencies, and companies you have hired to monitor your credit file.
A credit lock is separate from a security freeze. Credit reporting companies may offer locks for a fee, sometimes bundled with other paid services. According to the CFPB, locks are no more effective than security freezes. If you are offered a paid lock, ask what the charge covers and consider that the core freeze protection is available for free.
Watch for scams during recovery
Identity theft can make an unexpected warning sound convincing. Scammers may pretend to be the FTC, the CFPB, law enforcement or a financial institution, and claim that your information was used to open accounts. A message that knows some of your details is not proof that the sender is legitimate.
The FTC never threatens you, asks you to transfer money to protect it, or tells you to withdraw cash or buy gold and give it to someone. A demand like that is a scam. If you need to contact an agency or institution, find its official website or phone number yourself rather than using a link or number in an unexpected message.
Keep a short recovery checklist
As you work through the recovery plan, these questions can help you track the separate steps:
- Have you filed at IdentityTheft.gov and kept your Identity Theft Report and recovery plan?
- Have you checked each relevant bureau’s instructions before sending documents?
- If you want freezes at all three nationwide bureaus, have you contacted each one separately?
- Have you saved copies, contact dates and responses?
- If someone offers a paid credit lock, do you know what it adds to the free freeze?
Continue to review your own credit files and follow the recovery plan’s steps. If a bureau’s instructions or response leave a question unanswered, ask the bureau for clarification and keep a record of that exchange. This article is educational and is not personal financial, legal or tax advice.
Please seek a professional. This article is general information, not financial, tax or insurance advice. Please seek a licensed financial, tax or insurance professional about your own situation.
