What to do if your identity is stolen

If someone uses your name or accounts, call the company where the fraud happened, place a fraud alert, and report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan. Then freeze your credit at all three bureaus so no one can open new accounts in your name.

Three steps right away

IdentityTheft.gov lists them in order: call the companies where you know fraud occurred, place a fraud alert and get your credit reports, then report the theft to the FTC. A police report is optional in many cases.

Fraud alerts last 1 or 7 years

An initial fraud alert lasts one year and can be renewed. An extended alert lasts seven years if you have an FTC identity theft report or a police report. Contact one bureau and it must tell the other two.

Your liability is capped

For a credit card, the most you can owe for unauthorized charges is $50. For a debit card, it's $50 if you report within 2 business days, up to $500 within 60 days, and possibly everything after that.

A freeze blocks new accounts

Most lenders check your credit report before opening an account. With a freeze in place, they can't see it, so a thief can't open a card or loan in your name.

Signs your identity was stolen

The FTC lists the warning signs: charges you don't recognize, withdrawals you didn't make, bills for accounts you never opened, accounts on your credit report you don't know, and bills that stop arriving or suddenly go to a new address.

Other signs include a debt collector calling about a debt that isn't yours, a notice from the IRS that a return was already filed with your Social Security number, or a medical bill for care you never received.

The first hour

Call the fraud department of every company where you see fraud, using the number on the back of your card or on the company's official website. Ask them to close or freeze the affected accounts. Change your passwords and turn on two-factor sign-in.

Next, place a fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus. It tells lenders to check with you before opening a new account, and that bureau must pass it to the other two. Then pull your free credit reports from all three and look for accounts you don't recognize.

Reporting it to the FTC

Go to IdentityTheft.gov or call 877-438-4338. You answer questions about what happened, and the site builds a personal recovery plan with an official identity theft report.

That report helps you prove the debts aren't yours. If you create an account, the site tracks your progress and fills in letters for you to send to businesses, banks and credit bureaus. You can also file a report with your local police if a business or creditor asks for one.

Cleaning up the damage

Close any account opened in your name and ask each company for a letter confirming you aren't responsible. Dispute fraudulent charges in writing. Ask the credit bureaus to remove fraudulent accounts and inquiries, and include a copy of your identity theft report.

Then consider an extended fraud alert or a credit freeze, and review your credit reports often for the next year. If a collector contacts you about a fraudulent debt, tell them in writing that it's identity theft and send your report.

Tax, medical and child identity theft

If the IRS says a return was already filed with your number, respond to the notice and follow the IRS instructions. An identity protection PIN then blocks anyone else from filing as you in future years. Parents can request IP PINs for their dependents too.

For medical identity theft, ask your insurer and providers for your records and correct any care you didn't receive. For a child, you can request a credit freeze in the child's name. IdentityTheft.gov has a separate checklist for each of these.

Watch for fake helpers

Scammers pose as the FTC, your bank or a fraud team and say your identity was stolen. The FTC will never threaten you, tell you to move money to protect it or ask you to buy gold. Hang up and call the agency or bank at a number you look up yourself.