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If a scammer opened an account in your name, act as though it is identity theft: contact the company’s fraud department through a verified channel, document the dispute, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, and check your credit and specialty consumer reports for other accounts. Ask the company to close or freeze the fraudulent account and confirm in writing that you did not open it, are not liable, and that any related credit reporting has been corrected.
The procedure below is for U.S. consumers and follows current Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance. The exact form, documents, mailing address, and review time can vary by company and account type.
1. Contact the company that opened or reported the account
Start with the business named on the bill, credit report, collection notice, or account alert. Use a phone number or website address you obtain independently, rather than a link in a suspicious message. Ask to be transferred to the fraud or identity-theft department.
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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 problemsWhat to say and request
State clearly that the account is not yours and was opened through identity theft. Ask the company to:
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- Close or freeze the account and stop further use.
- Stop collection activity while it investigates your identity-theft dispute.
- Confirm in writing that the account was opened fraudulently, you are not liable, and the account has been removed or corrected in credit reporting.
- Tell you which documents or company-specific dispute form it requires.
The FTC recommends asking for written confirmation of these points. A company may require an FTC Identity Theft Report or its own form, so treat those requests as possible business procedures rather than a guarantee that every company uses the same process.
Keep a contact log
Record the date and time of every call, the representative’s name or identification number, phone numbers used, case or confirmation numbers, documents sent, and the promised next step. Save letters, emails, screenshots, bills, envelopes, and delivery receipts. This file gives you a chronology if the account is reported again or a collector contacts you.
2. Create an FTC Identity Theft Report and recovery plan
Report the incident at IdentityTheft.gov Recovery Steps. The site uses the information you provide to generate an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan. The FTC says the report helps prove the theft to businesses and gives victims specific rights. Its official wording is that the report “proves to businesses that someone stole your identity” and “guarantees you certain rights.”
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Save or print the report and plan as soon as they are generated. Creating an account on the site lets you track progress and access pre-filled forms and letters. If you do not create an account, keep your own electronic and paper copies; you may need them for the company, credit bureaus, collectors, or law enforcement.
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What the FTC report does—and does not do
The FTC report supports your disputes; submitting it does not automatically close an account or force a creditor to decide in your favor. The FTC does not resolve individual consumer reports. Reports are entered into Consumer Sentinel for law-enforcement use and analysis. Continue dealing directly with the business and credit bureaus after filing.
3. Check all credit reports and choose a protection
Review your credit reports for unfamiliar accounts, inquiries, balances, addresses, and payment activity. An account opened by one scammer can indicate that other information was used elsewhere. The FTC explains report access, alerts, and freezes at Know Your Rights.
Fraud alert, extended alert, or freeze?
All three protections are free, but they work differently. Use the option that matches how much control you need over new credit applications.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11| Protection | Duration | How it is placed | Effect on new credit | FTC Identity Theft Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | One year | Contact one nationwide credit bureau; it must notify the other two. | Businesses are asked to take reasonable steps to verify your identity before issuing credit. | Not required to request the basic alert. |
| Extended fraud alert | Seven years | Send an Identity Theft Report to each nationwide bureau. | Potential creditors must contact you before issuing credit. | Required. |
| Credit freeze | Until you lift or remove it | Place it separately with each of the three nationwide bureaus. | Limits access to your credit report, making it harder to open new credit accounts. You must temporarily lift or remove it when a legitimate application needs access. | The FTC’s placement instructions do not state the report as a prerequisite. |
A fraud alert is less work because one bureau distributes it, while a freeze requires separate requests and management at all three bureaus. An alert asks creditors to verify; a freeze restricts report access. Neither replaces disputing an account that already exists.
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4. Dispute the fraudulent account and credit-file entries
Dispute the account with both the company that opened it and every credit bureau showing it. Follow the company’s verified instructions and send copies, not originals, of supporting documents.
Request a block for identity-theft information
The FTC says you can ask a credit bureau to block information resulting from identity theft. A blocking request should include:
- Your FTC Identity Theft Report.
- Proof of your identity.
- A statement identifying each fraudulent item, including the account name and account number when available.
Explain that the information resulted from identity theft and should not appear in your file. Keep copies of the request and proof of delivery. The FTC distinguishes this identity-theft block from an ordinary dispute over an account you recognize but believe is inaccurate.
Use the FTC sample letters
The FTC provides templates for disputing a new fraudulent account, requesting a credit-bureau block, and asking a business for records at IdentityTheft.gov Sample Letters. Adapt the letter to the account, attach the required report and identification, and use the recipient’s current address or upload method. If the company insists on its own form, complete it while retaining your own letter and evidence.
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The FTC states that an Identity Theft Report supports rights to block fraudulent credit-file information and to stop creditors from reporting fraudulent accounts. It also notes that, under most state laws, a consumer is not responsible for fraudulent new-account debt opened without permission. That is a qualified FTC explanation, not a promise about every state, account type, or dispute outcome.
5. Request the records used to open the account
If you need to understand how the account was created or to support a dispute, ask the business for records related to the identity theft. Depending on the account, records may include the application, application history, transaction details, identification submitted, or signatures.
Make the request in writing and identify the account, the date you learned of it, and your FTC Identity Theft Report. The FTC’s sample-letter page includes a records request. A business may specify an address, form, identity-verification documents, or other requirements; comply with those instructions and retain your submission. These records can help distinguish a mistaken account match from a deliberate impersonation and can support follow-up with a collector or bureau.
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Checking or savings account
Request a free ChexSystems report to look for unfamiliar checking-account activity. Contact every financial institution where an account was opened and repeat the fraud-department process: close or freeze the account, dispute the activity, request written confirmation, and preserve the case record. A traditional credit report may not show all checking-account information.
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Utility account
Contact the utility provider’s fraud department and dispute the service or balance. If the provider does not resolve the problem, the FTC points consumers to their state Public Utility Commission for additional help. Keep the provider’s account number and service address in your file, especially if the scammer used an address where you have never lived.
Phone, internet, pay-TV, or telecommunications account
Contact the service provider and request closure, a fraud investigation, and written confirmation that you are not responsible. The FTC also recommends requesting an NCTUE Data Report, which covers telecommunications, pay-TV, and utility accounts reported by participating members. If the provider does not resolve the issue, the FTC points to the FCC complaint process.
An account opened in a child’s name
Parents or guardians should contact the company, explain that the person is a minor, ask it to close the account, and request written confirmation that the child is not liable. Follow the company’s instructions for proving the child’s identity and your authority to act. Check for other files or accounts associated with the child as well.
7. Organize documents and follow up without losing the paper trail
Use one folder, physical or digital, for the FTC report and recovery plan, credit reports, dispute letters, proof of identity, delivery receipts, company responses, collection notices, and your contact log. Name files with the date and recipient so you can show exactly what was sent.
- Send only the documents requested, and redact unrelated account numbers where appropriate.
- Use tracked mail or a documented electronic upload when the recipient provides that option.
- Check later credit reports to verify that the fraudulent account and related inquiries or collection entries were addressed.
- Continue disputing any reappearance or new entry; an alert or freeze does not remove an existing fraudulent tradeline.
- Do not assume silence means resolution. Ask the company for a written status and final determination.
No single creditor timeline is established by the FTC guidance. Your company, account type, and the documents it requests determine the review process, so rely on written case numbers and instructions rather than an assumed deadline.
8. Know the rights the FTC identifies
The FTC summarizes identity-theft rights that include making an Identity Theft Report, obtaining free credit reports, placing fraud alerts and freezes, disputing errors, blocking fraudulent information, requesting records about the theft, and addressing fraudulent debt reporting and collection. The report and supporting documents are tools for exercising those rights; they do not substitute for contacting the business or bureau involved.
For the complete recovery sequence, account-specific instructions, and current forms, use IdentityTheft.gov and its Recovery Steps. Keep the process procedural: report the account, preserve evidence, secure your credit files, and obtain written outcomes from each organization.
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