Someone used your name to open an account. You found out from a letter, a collection call, or a declined card. Now you need a plan, and the FTC has a tool that builds one. This piece covers what that tool does, what regulators say the core response looks like, and what we could not confirm.

What the FTC recovery plan is, and what we can confirm

You report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov. The site produces an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan that walks you through next steps. That is the basic function, and it is the best starting point for anyone whose personal information was misused.

Here is the gap. We could not read the plan's step-by-step text. The two FTC recovery-plan PDFs we located came back as unreadable file data. So this article does not list which steps the plan contains or what order it uses. Follow the plan as it appears on the official site, not a summary of it, including this one.

What we can read is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's description of the core response. It lines up with what the FTC process asks of you. Think of it as a frame, not a replacement. You can read it yourself at the CFPB page on identity theft victims.

The immediate steps: close accounts, then report

First, close the compromised accounts. Contact the security or fraud department of each affected financial institution. Do not wait for the next statement. Each day an open account sits there is another day someone else can use it.

Second, report the theft to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. That report generates the Identity Theft Report and the recovery plan. It is the hub, not an optional extra.

No readable source we reviewed gives fees, dollar amounts, or deadlines for this process. If someone attaches a charge or a countdown to these steps, check it against the official government site before you act. A countdown is a classic pressure tool.

Quiet close-up of smoothed paper and a folded envelope on a dark desk under soft window light, marking a pause between first steps and checking for scams.
Chapter plate marking the shift from first response to the verification and scam-spotting half of the guide.

Police and the credit reporting companies

The CFPB also advises reporting the theft to your local police, in addition to IdentityTheft.gov. A police report can serve as documentation when you deal with creditors or credit bureaus. The sources do not say exactly how each institution uses it, so ask them directly.

Next, protect your credit file. You can contact one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies to place a fraud alert or a security freeze. The request is expected to pass along to the others, but confirm that with the bureau you contact. Do not assume.

What the sources do not explain: how to choose between an alert and a freeze, how long each lasts, and what each costs. Those details change which tool fits. Check them on the CFPB, FTC, or bureau websites first.

Red flags: the fake FTC call

Identity theft victims make good targets for a second scam. It tends to run like this.

  1. A caller or message claims to be from the FTC or another agency.
  2. They say your information was used to open accounts or commit fraud.
  3. They push urgency and secrecy.
  4. They ask you to move money, withdraw cash, or buy gold to hand over.

The FTC does not threaten you. It does not ask you to move money to protect it. It does not tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold for anyone. Any request like that is a scam, whatever agency name is attached.

Impersonators also use the names of the CFPB, law enforcement, banks, and card issuers, by email, text, or phone. The fix is dull and works. Hang up. Look up the official website or phone number yourself. Contact the organization that way, never through a number the caller gave you.

Where the available guidance stops

Several things are outside what we could confirm. How to file the Identity Theft Report in detail, what it asks for, and how creditors and bureaus use it all belong on IdentityTheft.gov itself.

Special cases have their own steps. A stolen Social Security number, tax-related identity theft, and medical identity theft are handled separately in FTC consumer guidance, such as the FTC's how to recover from identity theft alert and its IdentityTheft.gov overview.

Disputing fraudulent accounts or negative entries on a credit report goes beyond the basic alert and freeze steps covered here. Use the official credit reporting and FTC resources for that. This article is educational only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.