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If you find an account, inquiry, or other credit-report entry you do not recognize, first check what it is and record where it appears. Then contact the business named on the entry through an official channel to secure the affected account. If the information appears to be identity theft, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and ask each credit bureau showing the item to block it. A fraud alert or security freeze can help protect against new accounts while you work through those steps.
This guidance is for U.S. consumers. An unfamiliar item is not proof by itself that someone stole your identity: it could be a reporting error or an account associated with a name or service you recognize. Confirm the details before describing it as fraud.
1. Confirm the unfamiliar entry and document it
Get your reports from all three nationwide credit bureaus and compare them. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) directs consumers to AnnualCreditReport.com for free reports and says consumers can check them weekly for free. An item may appear on only one report, so checking one bureau alone can leave other unfamiliar information undiscovered.
For each item you cannot identify, record the name of the creditor or business, the account or inquiry number if shown, dates, balance, and which bureau’s report contains it. Save a copy of the report and note when you reviewed it. Keep a dated log of calls, letters, online submissions, and responses, along with copies of documents and delivery records. This record helps you identify exactly what to challenge and show what you have already done.
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Before treating an account as fraudulent, consider whether the name might be a parent company, billing servicer, or a merchant name different from the one you remember. If you still do not recognize it, contact the company using information from its official website or a statement—not an unsolicited message or a phone number supplied by someone pressuring you.
2. Secure the account and contact the business
Contact the fraud department of the company associated with the unfamiliar account or transaction. Explain what you found and ask the company to investigate, secure or close the account, and stop further unauthorized activity. Ask how to submit supporting documents and request written confirmation of the action it takes. If the entry is an inquiry rather than an account, ask the business what application or transaction prompted it.
Change the password and PIN for the affected account, and update credentials that you reused elsewhere. Contact banks and other financial institutions through their official websites or the number printed on your payment card. If you see unauthorized transactions, ask the institution how to dispute them and protect the account. The FTC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommend acting with the relevant business and financial institution as part of recovery.
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Be cautious of anyone who contacts you claiming to be a government agency, bureau, bank, or creditor and demands that you move money, reveal a password, or share a verification code. The CFPB warns that scammers impersonate agencies and financial institutions. End an unexpected call or conversation and contact the organization using a number or site you locate independently.
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3. Choose a fraud alert, a security freeze, or both
Fraud alerts and security freezes address the risk that someone will use your information to seek new credit. Neither one removes an existing fraudulent account from a report; that requires a separate block or dispute request. The options differ in how creditors access your file and how you arrange protection.
| Protection | Who can request it | What it does | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | Any consumer seeking additional identity checks before new credit is granted | Asks creditors to take steps to verify the identity of someone applying for credit; it is not a freeze and does not block all access to the report | Contact one nationwide bureau; it must notify the other two |
| Extended fraud alert | An identity-theft victim with an FTC Identity Theft Report | According to FTC guidance, requires a business to contact the consumer before granting new credit | Use the FTC report and contact one bureau, which informs the others; give a reliable contact method |
| Security freeze | Any consumer, whether or not they have an identity-theft report | Restricts prospective creditors’ access to the credit file until the consumer lifts or removes the freeze | Request it separately from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion |
Fraud alerts
An initial fraud alert is free and lasts one year, according to FTC guidance. Contact one of the three nationwide bureaus to request it; that bureau is responsible for notifying the other two. An alert asks a creditor to take steps to verify the applicant’s identity before extending credit, but it does not prevent every kind of access to your report.
If you have an FTC Identity Theft Report, you can request an extended fraud alert. FTC guidance describes it as lasting seven years and requiring a business to contact you before granting new credit. Use a contact method you can reliably answer so a legitimate application is not delayed while a creditor tries to verify your identity.
Security freezes
A security freeze is free under federal law, and you do not need an identity-theft report to request one. It limits prospective creditors’ access to your credit file until you lift or remove it. A freeze at one bureau does not freeze the other two, so submit a separate request to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
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The tradeoff is practical: when you apply for credit or another service that checks a bureau’s file, you may need to lift the freeze so the company can review it. The CFPB says a bureau must complete a telephone or secure electronic request to lift a freeze within one hour; a mailed request may take up to three business days. Plan ahead if you know you will apply for something that requires a credit check.
For placement, the CFPB says a bureau must place a freeze within one business day after a telephone or secure electronic request, or within three business days after receiving a mailed request. It must send written confirmation within five business days after placing it. These are federal timing requirements described by the CFPB; consult its current freeze guidance for details before relying on a deadline.
The CFPB also explains that a paid credit lock is no more effective than the free security freeze available by law. You can use the free official freeze process rather than paying for a lock to get this protection.
4. Report identity theft and save your recovery plan
Go to IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC’s official identity-theft reporting and recovery resource, and describe what happened. The site creates an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan. The report can help establish the theft with businesses and is important for the credit-report blocking process.
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Save or print both the report and plan. The FTC cautions that if you do not have an account, you should save them immediately because they may not be accessible after you leave the page. Keep them with your report copies and contact log. Follow the recovery plan for the kinds of information involved; identity theft involving a credit account may require different contacts from misuse of other personal information.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Ask bureaus to block identity-theft information
If an item is the result of identity theft, use the identity-theft block process rather than relying only on a general dispute. Write to each bureau whose report contains the fraudulent information. Include:
- Your FTC Identity Theft Report.
- Proof of your identity, as requested by the bureau.
- A clear description of each fraudulent account, inquiry, or other item, identifying it as information caused by identity theft.
- A direct request that the bureau block the specified information.
Keep copies of the complete submission and proof of delivery. FTC guidance says a bureau must honor a request to block the information when the consumer provides an FTC Identity Theft Report. Identify the affected information precisely so the bureau can distinguish it from accurate items on your file.
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Contact the creditor or other business as well, particularly if it continues reporting the account or a debt collector continues trying to collect it. Ask the business for relevant account application or transaction records and keep its response. Use the recovery plan for next steps, and keep a record of further reporting or collection. Do not assume an account will be removed immediately or that a particular outcome is guaranteed.
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6. Use a general dispute for an ordinary reporting error
Not every incorrect entry is identity theft. If you identify a mistake—such as information attached to the wrong person or an inaccurate account detail—but do not believe someone opened or used the account fraudulently, follow the CFPB’s general credit-report dispute guidance. Dispute with both the credit reporting company and the company that supplied the information, called the furnisher.
Explain what is wrong and why, identify the report entry, and include copies of documents that support your position. Keep the originals and records of what you sent. The CFPB’s dispute guidance distinguishes this investigation process from the identity-theft block procedure. If the account actually resulted from identity theft, submit the FTC report and request a block as described above rather than treating the case only as a routine error.
7. Keep monitoring the file and your case
Check the reports for additional unfamiliar items and confirm whether the challenged entry remains. The FTC says reports can be checked weekly for free through AnnualCreditReport.com. Keep new report copies with your dated log, and add each bureau or business response as it arrives. If a company continues reporting or collecting an account you have identified as fraudulent, refer to your FTC recovery plan and contact the business again with the records that document your request.
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Quick Recap
Official guidance referenced
- Federal Trade Commission: IdentityTheft.gov recovery steps and know-your-rights guidance.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “What do I do if I am a victim of identity theft?” (last reviewed July 30, 2026).
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “How do I dispute an error on my credit report?” (last reviewed September 2, 2026).
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “What is a credit freeze or security freeze on my credit report?” (last reviewed September 5, 2025).
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “What is identity monitoring or identity theft service?”
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