If someone used your personal or financial information without permission, report it to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov to get a free personal recovery plan, pre-filled letters, and step tracking. This guide is the official reporting path — not a rewrite of credit freeze vs paid identity monitoring and not the same as first-hour credit card fraud steps. Buy-nothing is valid: the FTC report and free credit freezes do not require a paid monitoring subscription.

When to use IdentityTheft.gov

Identity theft is when someone uses your name, address, account numbers, Social Security number, or similar data without permission — for example to open credit, steal a tax refund, get medical care, or run utility accounts in your name.

Signs the FTC lists include: a bill that stops arriving, charges you did not make, unexpected new bills, bank withdrawals you did not authorize, or credit-report accounts you do not recognize.

Use IdentityTheft.gov when you believe identity theft already happened or you need a recovery plan after a serious exposure. A data-breach notice alone is not always full identity theft — still check whether your email appeared in a breach and consider a freeze early.

Step-by-step: file the FTC identity theft report

The FTC’s consumer advice points households to IdentityTheft.gov for English reports (RobodeIdentidad.gov for Spanish).

  1. Go to the official site: IdentityTheft.gov (English) or RobodeIdentidad.gov (Spanish). Prefer typing the address yourself rather than following a random search ad.
  2. Start a report and answer the questions about what happened (the FTC says the site covers more than 30 types of identity theft, plus advice when information was lost or exposed in a breach).
  3. Get your personal recovery plan. The site walks you through next steps, lets you update the plan and track progress, and can print pre-filled letters and forms for credit bureaus, businesses, and debt collectors.
  4. Follow the plan in order. Typical companion moves (also on the FTC identity-theft page) include contacting affected companies, reviewing credit reports, and placing freezes or fraud alerts.
  5. Need another language? The FTC lists 877-438-4338, then press 3, with interpreters available 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET.

Do these free protections alongside the report

Reporting does not replace locking new credit. Pair the IdentityTheft.gov plan with freezes and alerts the FTC describes.

Credit freeze (free to place and lift)

Contact each bureau — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax — to freeze your reports so most new credit accounts cannot open while the freeze is on. Details and tradeoffs vs paid monitoring: credit freeze vs identity monitoring. For a minor: freeze a child's credit report.

Fraud alert

Even with a freeze, the FTC notes you may place an initial fraud alert so businesses check with you before opening new credit. Contact one bureau for a free one-year initial alert; that bureau must tell the other two.

If a card was misused today

Call the card issuer and follow credit card fraud first-hour steps, then still complete the IdentityTheft.gov report when the broader identity misuse fits.

The FTC explains credit monitoring, identity monitoring, recovery services, and identity theft insurance as optional products — often monthly fees, sometimes bundled by a bank or employer.

  • Credit monitoring watches credit-file changes; it generally will not alert you if someone drains a bank account or files a tax return with your SSN.
  • Identity monitoring may watch other databases (address changes, utilities, some dark-web trade sites) but still has gaps the FTC lists (tax, Medicare/Medicaid, welfare, Social Security, unemployment benefits misuse).
  • Recovery services may help with letters and freezes; much of that overlap is already in the free IdentityTheft.gov plan.
  • Identity theft insurance may cover some out-of-pocket recovery costs (copies, postage, certain legal fees) but generally will not repay money scammers stole.

Before you pay, the FTC reminds you that you can monitor credit yourself with free annual credit reports. Freezes remain free.

FAQ

Where do I report identity theft in the US?

Report to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov (English) or RobodeIdentidad.gov (Spanish) to get a free recovery plan. Also contact the companies where the fraud happened and place freezes with the three credit bureaus.

Is IdentityTheft.gov free?

Yes. The FTC provides the report, recovery plan, progress tracking, and pre-filled letters at no charge.

Do I need paid identity monitoring after I report?

Not required. Start with the free plan plus free credit freezes. Read freeze vs paid monitoring before you subscribe.

What if only my email password leaked?

That may be account takeover or a breach exposure, not full identity theft. Change the password, turn on 2FA, check breach listings, and use IdentityTheft.gov if the FTC flow fits your situation or a thief opened new accounts.

Should I also call the police?

Follow the recovery plan IdentityTheft.gov builds for your case. Some steps ask for a police report; use the plan’s checklist rather than guessing.

IdentityTheft.gov reporting and credit freezes are free government/consumer tools. They are not antivirus. Device protection is separate; Microsoft Defender is a valid buy-nothing choice for many home PCs. If the household later wants a paid multi-device suite (some suites bundle monitoring — still compare to a free freeze first), use only these on-site paid links: TotalAV, Norton, Bitdefender, McAfee, Avast.