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Identity theft emergency response

When your Social Security number, driver's license, or financial credentials fall into the hands of identity thieves, taking structured steps protects your credit rating and financial assets.

Do this now

  1. Place free credit freezes with all three credit bureaus: Contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion online or by phone. A credit freeze prevents anyone from opening new credit accounts in your name.
  2. Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Visit IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877-438-4338 in the United States. The FTC will generate a personal recovery plan and an official Identity Theft Report.
  3. Contact affected financial institutions: Call the fraud departments of any banks, credit card companies, or lenders where fraudulent accounts were opened or existing accounts compromised.
  4. File a police report with local law enforcement: Bring your FTC Identity Theft Report, a government-issued photo ID, proof of address, and evidence of fraud to your local police station.
  5. Close fraudulently opened accounts: Send written notices with a copy of your police report to creditors holding fraudulent accounts.

Contacting the credit bureaus

To place a credit freeze, contact each bureau individually:

  • Equifax: Visit equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or call 1-800-685-1111.
  • Experian: Visit experian.com/freeze or call 1-888-397-3742.
  • TransUnion: Visit transunion.com/credit-freeze or call 1-888-909-8872.

Placing a freeze is free by law and does not affect your credit score. You can temporarily lift the freeze whenever you need to apply for credit, housing, or employment.

Additional protective measures

  • Create a My Social Security account: Register your official account at ssa.gov to prevent an identity thief from creating an account using your Social Security number.
  • Set up IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN): Request a six-digit IP PIN from the IRS at irs.gov/ippin to prevent fraudulent tax returns from being filed in your name.
  • Review annual credit reports: Order your free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com to inspect your full credit history for unrecognized accounts or inquiries.