How to Report Identity Theft to Credit Bureaus
To report identity theft to the national credit reporting companies, contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately to request a fraud alert or security freeze. Then file an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov. Use that report to support disputes of fraudulent accounts or inquiries shown on your credit reports.
Reporting identity theft to the national credit reporting companies involves two separate actions: alerting the companies that maintain your credit files and creating a federal Identity Theft Report. The three national credit reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—each keep separate files, so you must contact each one individually. You can reach their fraud departments online, by phone, or by mail. Common requests include placing a fraud alert, which tells businesses to verify your identity before extending credit, or a security freeze, which restricts access to your credit file. Both are free.
The Federal Trade Commission operates IdentityTheft.gov, where you can file an Identity Theft Report. This report is a legal document that describes the theft and can be sent to credit reporting companies, banks, and other businesses. To complete it, you provide details about what happened and any documents you have, such as account statements or notices. An Identity Theft Report is often required to obtain an extended fraud alert, which lasts for seven years, and to support disputes of fraudulent accounts or inquiries that appear on your credit reports.
Once you have an Identity Theft Report, you can submit it to each national credit reporting company along with proof of your identity and address. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, when you provide an identity theft report and identify information in your credit file that resulted from identity theft, the credit reporting company must block that information from your file, typically within four business days. You should contact each company separately because a block or dispute filed with one company does not automatically apply to the others.
You may also file a report with your local police department and keep a copy. Notify the Social Security Administration if your Social Security number is misused, and consider contacting the Internal Revenue Service if tax-related fraud is suspected. Review your credit reports from all three national credit reporting companies at AnnualCreditReport.com. The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provide detailed guides on the reporting process, including sample letters and contact information for the credit reporting companies.