Accounts opened without permission
Unfamiliar credit cards, loans, or collection accounts may be signs of identity theft. Record when you discovered each account and which companies have contacted you.
For individuals
Identity Theft
Your name. Your financial life. Your right to take it back.
Understand your position
A clear look.
A practical next step.
Discovering a debt you never opened can leave you explaining someone else's actions again and again. Identity theft can involve fraudulent accounts, unauthorized transactions, damaging reports, or collection demands. Start by separating what you recognize from what you do not. With an organized timeline and the right records, it becomes easier to understand who needs to investigate, which information remains disputed, and where a legal review may help.
Damage that continues after a report
A fraud report does not always end the problem. Track later statements, dispute responses, credit entries, and requests for payment so the continuing issue is clear.
Collection activity tied to fraud
Calls and letters about someone else's debt create a second problem. Keep the account details and communications together rather than treating each new contact as a separate incident.
Put your goal in focus
What could moving
forward look like?
Explore the questions and possible objectives that can shape a useful case review.
Separate your activity from the fraud
Identify the accounts and transactions you do recognize, then list those you do not. Keep track of when each unfamiliar item first came to your attention. A clear separation helps avoid confusion when several lenders, collectors, or reporting companies are involved in the same identity problem.
Useful starting point: a list of unfamiliar accounts, companies, and discovery dates.
Track the response to your reports
Reporting identity theft is a starting point. What happened afterward may be just as important. Save the information requested by each company, what you provided, and its response. Continuing statements, collection messages, or unchanged report entries can help explain the issues that still need attention.
Useful starting point: the fraud report together with a dated record of subsequent communications.
Focus on unresolved harm
A review can address the concerns that remain after initial recovery steps: inaccurate information, disputed account responsibility, or continuing demands. Explain which issue is affecting you now and what you have already attempted. Different parties may have different obligations, so no single response should be assumed to resolve everything.
Useful starting point: your most recent report, notice, or unanswered communication.
These are possible review objectives, not predictions or guarantees. Available rights and remedies depend on the facts, agreements, deadlines, and applicable law.
Start with what you have
The right details
make a difference.
You do not need a perfect file to ask for help. These records can make the first conversation more useful.
How to prepare for a case reviewYour preparation checklist
Check off the records you have ready. You can still ask for help if something is missing.
0 of 4 ready
Keep originals. Share only a brief summary in your initial inquiry; an appropriate way to provide documents can be discussed afterward.
01
Identify the affected accounts
Create a simple list of companies, account references, discovery dates, and disputed amounts.
02
Preserve your recovery record
Keep copies of reports, communications, and the evidence you have already submitted.
03
Assess the unresolved issues
Review what remains inaccurate, who responded, and whether further action is appropriate.
Good questions. Clear answers.
Before you take
the next step.
Where can I report identity theft?
IdentityTheft.gov is the FTC's reporting and recovery resource. It can help create a recovery plan based on the information you provide.
Does a credit freeze remove existing fraudulent accounts?
A freeze helps restrict access to your credit file and makes new-account fraud harder. Existing fraudulent entries still need to be addressed through the appropriate reporting and dispute process.
What if I have already reported the fraud?
Bring the report and the later responses. The next review can focus on what remains unresolved and whether the companies involved properly addressed your complaint.
Further reading: FTC resource · FTC resource
General information only. Rights, deadlines, available remedies, and eligibility depend on the facts and applicable law.
The bigger picture
Related solutions.
01Credit Reporting
Dispute inaccurate information. Protect the story your credit tells.
Explore this service
02Debt & Collections
Address collection pressure, disputed balances, and unfair practices.
Explore this service
03Consumer Fraud
False promises, hidden charges, and transactions that went wrong.
Explore this serviceYour next step
Tell us what happened.
Start a conversation about your identity theft concern and the options worth exploring.