Victim of identity theft? Steps to protect yourself and recover your credit

First 48 hours

• Pull all three credit reports and list every account, inquiry and address you do not recognize
• Call the fraud department of each affected creditor and close or freeze the accounts
• Place a fraud alert with one bureau — it must notify the other two
• File an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov and print the recovery plan
• File a police report in your local jurisdiction and keep the case number
• Change passwords and enable two-factor authentication on email and banking

Freeze beats alert

A fraud alert asks lenders to take extra verification steps. A security freeze blocks new credit from being opened in your name entirely. Freezes are free at all three bureaus, can be lifted temporarily when you apply for something legitimate, and are the strongest protection available.

Do not forget the smaller specialty agencies — check systems used for bank accounts and telecom accounts as well.

Getting fraudulent items removed

With an identity theft report in hand, you can require credit reporting agencies to block information resulting from the theft, and require furnishers to stop reporting it. This is a stronger remedy than an ordinary dispute — but it depends entirely on having the report and documentation in order.

Watch for the second wave

Stolen data circulates for years. Recheck all three reports at 30, 90 and 180 days, review your Social Security earnings statement, and watch for tax filings or medical bills you did not generate.

How we help

We audit all three bureaus, map every fraudulent item to your identity theft report, prepare the blocking requests with the documentation attached, and track each response until the file is clean. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.