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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsA data breach notice means your information may have been exposed; it does not prove someone has misused it. Treat the notice as a reason to watch your accounts, credit reports, mail, and health or tax records. If you find activity you do not recognize, contact the affected institution, secure related accounts, and report confirmed identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
What counts as a warning sign?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists a breach notice among the clues to take seriously, alongside signs that may indicate actual misuse. Identity thieves may use personal information to open accounts, make purchases, obtain utility service, misuse health insurance, seek a tax refund, or impersonate someone in an arrest.
- Unexplained withdrawals or unfamiliar charges.
- Bills or other expected mail that stop arriving.
- A merchant refuses your check.
- A debt collector contacts you about a debt you do not recognize.
- Your credit report shows an unfamiliar account or transaction.
- You receive a medical bill for care you did not receive, or your health plan denies a claim because of unfamiliar use or inaccurate records.
- The IRS contacts you about multiple tax returns filed in your name or income from an employer you do not know.
- A company you use tells you it experienced a data breach.
A breach notification alone is not proof of fraud. Keep the notice and contact the organization through a contact channel you independently know to be official. Be cautious with unsolicited calls, texts, and emails that use the breach as a pretext to request passwords, payment, or personal information; the FTC guidance cited here lists warning signs and recovery steps but does not set out a specific method for authenticating breach notices.
What should you do first when you find suspicious activity?
- Contact the institution involved. Call the business, bank, health provider, utility, or other organization where the suspected fraud occurred and ask for its fraud department. Explain which account or activity is not yours. Ask it to close or freeze affected accounts where appropriate.
- Secure affected logins. Change passwords, logins, and PINs for affected accounts. Change credentials on other accounts if you reused them.
- Review related accounts. Check bank, card, utility, medical, and other relevant account activity for unfamiliar transactions or changes. Keep a dated record of each contact, what you were told, and anything you submitted. Save letters and confirmations.
- Check your credit reports. Look for accounts or transactions you do not recognize. The FTC says consumers can check credit reports weekly for free through AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Report confirmed identity theft. File at IdentityTheft.gov or call the FTC identity-theft line. The service uses the information you submit to create an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan. Save or print both and follow the plan.
- Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze. These are different protections for future credit activity; choose based on the level of restriction and follow the separate placement steps described below.
How do you report fraud and dispute accounts or credit information?
New accounts opened in your name
Contact the company’s fraud department and ask it to close the account. Request written confirmation that the account is not yours and that you are not liable for it.
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Unauthorized charges on an existing account
Contact the company and identify the transactions you did not make. Follow its dispute process and keep copies of correspondence and any confirmations.
Fraudulent information on a credit report
You can dispute inaccurate credit-report information. To ask a credit bureau to block identity-theft information, FTC guidance says to provide an FTC Identity Theft Report, proof of identity, and a letter identifying the fraudulent information. You can also request documents related to the identity theft from a business; account records such as an application may help document what happened.
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What the FTC report does—and does not do
IdentityTheft.gov generates a report and recovery plan from the information you provide. The FTC collects reports for law-enforcement and trend-analysis purposes, but says it does not resolve individual consumer reports. Filing with the FTC does not itself cancel an account, reimburse a loss, or prosecute a case; you still need to work with the affected companies and dispute inaccurate records.
When a police report may help
A police report can be useful in some cases, but it is not a universal prerequisite to filing with the FTC. If you decide to make one, the FTC recovery instructions describe identification and supporting documents to bring; ask for a copy of the report.
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Should you choose a fraud alert or a credit freeze?
Both options are free under FTC guidance, but they work differently. An alert asks businesses to take steps to verify your identity before issuing new credit. A freeze restricts access to your credit report, making it harder for someone to open a new account. Neither resolves fraudulent transactions you have already found.
| Protection | What it does | Duration | Where to request it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | Tells businesses to take steps to verify your identity before issuing new credit. | One year. | Contact one of the three nationwide credit bureaus; it must notify the other two. Free. |
| Extended fraud alert | Requires potential creditors to contact you before issuing credit. Available to identity-theft victims. | Seven years. | Request it from a bureau and provide your FTC Identity Theft Report. Free. |
| Credit freeze | Restricts access to your credit report, making it harder for someone to open a new account. | Remains until you lift or remove it. | Request it separately from each of the three nationwide bureaus. Free to place and remove. |
An initial alert is a lighter-touch request for identity verification, while a freeze restricts access to your report. An extended alert has a longer term and requires an FTC Identity Theft Report. Choose based on how much friction you want for new credit applications and whether you have the report needed to request an extended alert. Contact affected companies and dispute inaccurate information separately from either protection.
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What extra steps apply to tax, child, or medical identity theft?
Tax identity theft
Follow the instructions in any IRS notice you receive. The FTC directs victims to submit IRS Form 14039 when applicable and to continue filing a tax return and paying taxes owed. Follow current IRS instructions for your specific notice and circumstances.
Child identity theft
Contact the company where the account was opened, explain that the account concerns a minor, and request closure and written confirmation. A parent or guardian can ask each credit bureau to conduct a manual search for the child’s credit report and request a freeze if a report exists.
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Medical identity theft
Review records in relevant health-provider portals. Identify services or diagnoses that are not yours, write to the provider to request a correction, and notify your insurer.
Misuse involving government programs
If someone used your information for an SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), use the current procedure linked from the FTC’s identity-theft guidance rather than relying on older contact details copied elsewhere.
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