Someone is using my identity: what to do

An account you never opened is a reason to act, not a debt to accept.

The answer in 2 lines. Contact the fraud department of every affected institution and secure your email. Report the misuse at IdentityTheft.gov: answer the questions to create an FTC Identity Theft Report and recovery plan. Consider freezing your credit using USAGov's official instructions. Review your credit reports, dispute accounts you did not open and keep copies of every communication. Report the theft to local police as well; an FTC report and a police report serve different purposes.

Put the recovery steps in order

Contain the misuse: tell affected institutions that the account or transaction involves identity theft. Ask them to secure compromised accounts and confirm what documentation they need.
Create your recovery record: use IdentityTheft.gov to describe the theft, save your report and follow the tailored action plan.
Protect your credit and access: consider a credit freeze, review your reports and change compromised passwords. Start with the email account used for password resets.

Stop: danger

Do not pay an unfamiliar debt just to end the calls: request information and dispute identity-theft debts through the appropriate process.
Do not send identity documents to an unsolicited contact: verify the recipient and use the institution's established secure channel.
Do not assume a freeze solves everything: it helps prevent new credit fraud but does not stop misuse of existing accounts.

Build a file you can reuse

Save collection letters, unfamiliar account statements, emails and screenshots. Make a timeline with discovery dates, account references and the actions you took. Keep your reports and correspondence somewhere you can access securely.

The CFPB's identity theft guide explains reporting and removing fraudulent information. Use it to prepare requests supported by your identity theft report and identification. Also report the theft to local police and retain the report details. Do not postpone securing accounts while arranging that report.

If you only received notice of a data breach, distinguish exposure from confirmed misuse. Follow the notice's verified instructions and monitor for unfamiliar activity; do not claim that an account was opened unless you have evidence.

What not to do

Assuming that an unfamiliar account will disappear after you report the theft to one agency.
Sending original documents when copies are requested.
Buying a service because a caller says payment is required to place a credit freeze.
Ignoring letters or formal notices while you work through the recovery plan.

Freeze your credit and check for unfamiliar accounts

A security freeze restricts access to your credit report and can make fraudulent credit applications harder. Placing and lifting a freeze is free. Use USAGov's credit-freeze page to reach the nationwide credit bureaus through verified links. Submit a freeze request to each bureau separately, and keep the access credentials needed to lift it when you apply for credit.

For credit-report access and fraud-alert options, follow the links in the FTC recovery steps. Review each report for accounts, addresses or inquiries you do not recognize. A fraud alert asks lenders to verify your identity; it is different from a freeze.

Dispute the damage and escalate unresolved problems

Identify each fraudulent item and contact both the credit reporting agency displaying it and the institution that supplied it. The CFPB dispute guide explains what to include and where to send your request. Keep delivery confirmations and responses.

For an unresolved financial-services problem, use the CFPB complaint portal: describe the issue and attach relevant records. Credit-report complaints have prerequisites: first dispute with the reporting agency and check the current submission notice before proceeding. For other business disputes, select your state in USAGov's consumer protection directory. State procedures vary.

Good to know

Identity theft may affect more than credit: use the special-case guidance in your recovery plan for medical, tax or other misuse.
A credit report cannot reveal every account or every kind of identity theft.
Keep checking for new activity after the first fraudulent account is closed.

Jordan receives a collection letter about an account he never opened. He verifies the sender independently, disputes the account and creates an FTC Identity Theft Report. He freezes his credit reports and checks for other unfamiliar entries. He keeps the collection letter, report and written responses together so he can follow up without rebuilding the story.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 5, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for federal recovery tools, credit freezes and dispute routes; medium for institution-specific documentation and state procedures. The appropriate steps depend on how the identity was misused.