You file an FTC identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov by opening the site, creating a personal account, and answering a guided series of questions about what happened, which accounts were affected, and when you noticed. The process takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes and produces three things: an official FTC Identity Theft Report, a recovery plan tailored to the fraud you described, and pre-filled dispute letters ready to send to creditors and credit bureaus. The report itself carries legal weight — credit bureaus must block fraudulent accounts from your file within four business days of receiving it.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-2 – Block of Information Resulting From Identity Theft
What to Have on Hand Before You Open the Site
Gathering your details first keeps the filing moving and produces a more useful recovery plan at the end. You’ll need your full legal name, current address, Social Security number, date of birth, email address, and phone number.
Then pull together what you know about the fraud itself. Names of banks that opened credit cards you didn’t authorize. Utility companies that set up service in your name. Medical providers that billed insurance for visits you never made. Account numbers, dates charges appeared, collection letters you’ve received — anything specific helps. If you don’t know an exact date an account was opened, a good estimate works. Specificity matters more than perfection, because the dispute letters the portal generates will use whatever you enter.
The form asks you to categorize the fraud. Common categories include unauthorized charges on existing credit cards, new accounts opened in your name, fraudulent tax filings, government benefits fraud, and medical identity theft. Picking the right category matters because each triggers a different set of recovery steps and different letters.
Two situations change how the portal handles your report. If someone used your identity during a police encounter or arrest, note that going in — the plan may direct you to request a clearance letter proving your innocence. If you know the person who stole your information, the plan handles that differently too.
Walking Through the Filing
Go to IdentityTheft.gov and select the option to start a new report. The site takes you through screens asking about the type of fraud, when you discovered it, and the institutions involved. Enter each detail as precisely as you can.
You’ll be prompted to create a personal account with a valid email address. That account is how you get back into your recovery plan later, mark off steps as you complete them, and retrieve your FTC Identity Theft Report whenever you need it. After you’ve entered your information, the site shows review screens with everything you’ve typed. Read every field. You can update the plan later, but the pre-filled letters that go out in the first wave use whatever the initial submission contains.
When you click submit, the system transmits your report to the FTC and shows a confirmation screen with a report number and filing date. Save that number. You’ll cite it to creditors, credit bureaus, and possibly police. Behind the scenes, your report enters Consumer Sentinel, the FTC’s secure database that federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies use to investigate fraud patterns.2Federal Trade Commission. Consumer Sentinel Network
What You Get After You Submit
Submission produces three things that do most of the recovery work: the FTC Identity Theft Report, a personalized recovery plan, and pre-filled dispute letters.3Federal Trade Commission. IdentityTheft.gov
The FTC Identity Theft Report is the document you’ll show to everyone else. It’s an official statement to a federal agency that your identity was stolen and specific transactions weren’t yours. Creditors, debt collectors, and credit bureaus all recognize it, and many financial institutions accept it in place of a police report for initial fraud investigations. Filing a false one is a federal crime, which is part of why institutions take it seriously.
The recovery plan is interactive and shaped by the categories you selected. If someone opened a credit card in your name, it names the companies to contact and the order to contact them in. If someone filed a fraudulent tax return, it walks you through the IRS notification steps. Log back into your account anytime to see what’s done and what’s next.3Federal Trade Commission. IdentityTheft.gov
The pre-filled letters address credit bureaus, businesses where fraud occurred, and any debt collectors that have already contacted you. Each letter pulls in the specific details from your report, and the language is written to meet the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which matters because the precise wording in a dispute can determine whether a credit bureau is legally required to act.
The Federal Rights Your Report Activates
The FTC Identity Theft Report is more than a paper trail. It turns on specific rights you don’t have without it.
The strongest is the credit bureau block. Once a bureau receives your report along with proof of identity and a statement identifying the fraudulent items, it must block that information from your credit report within four business days.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-2 – Block of Information Resulting From Identity Theft Four business days is the statutory deadline, and blocked information can’t be reported to anyone who pulls your credit. The pre-filled letters are formatted to give the bureau exactly what the statute demands.
An identity theft report also lets you place an extended fraud alert lasting seven years, rather than the standard one-year alert any consumer can request.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts A fraud alert tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new credit. You only contact one bureau to place it; that bureau is required to notify the other two.
A credit freeze is a separate step, and the portal does not do it for you. You have to request a freeze individually from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.5Federal Trade Commission. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts Freezes are free under federal law and block anyone from pulling your credit report until you lift them, which effectively stops new accounts from being opened.
If debt collectors have contacted you about fraudulent accounts, note that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act gives you 30 days from the collector’s first communication to dispute the debt in writing. A timely written dispute forces the collector to stop collection activity until it verifies the debt.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1692g – Validation of Debts The letters your recovery plan generates include the right language and your FTC report number, so you can send one the day a collector reaches you. Certified mail gives you proof of the date it arrived.
Filing for a Child or a Deceased Relative
The portal has separate pathways for children and for deceased family members. Children usually don’t have credit reports, so fraud in a child’s name can sit undetected for years, surfacing only when the child applies for a first credit card or student loan. Filing on behalf of your child requires your own identifying information along with the child’s, including the child’s Social Security number.7IdentityTheft.gov. Filing an FTC Identity Theft Report – Section: Child Identity Theft
After you file, ask each of the three major bureaus to do a manual search of your child’s Social Security number. Each bureau has its own procedure for minor searches. If a report turns up, it almost certainly contains fraudulent accounts, and you’ll follow the bureau’s instructions to dispute them and freeze the child’s credit.7IdentityTheft.gov. Filing an FTC Identity Theft Report – Section: Child Identity Theft
For a deceased person, expect to provide documentation proving your authority to act for the estate, such as a death certificate and proof of executorship. The recovery plan for these filings centers on closing fraudulent accounts and notifying the bureaus of the death.
If Someone Filed Taxes in Your Name
IdentityTheft.gov can electronically transmit IRS Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit, directly to the IRS as part of your filing.8Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit That saves you from downloading, printing, and mailing it. The FTC sends only the affidavit, not any tax return, so you still file your legitimate return through the normal channels.
One exception matters. If you’ve already received a specific IRS letter about a suspicious return — Letter 5071C, 4883C, or 5747C — follow the instructions in that letter and do not file Form 14039. Those letters mean the IRS has already flagged the return and wants you to use its verification process instead.8Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit
When You Also Need a Police Report
The FTC Identity Theft Report handles most creditor and credit bureau interactions on its own. A police report is still worth pursuing in specific situations: you know who stole your identity, the thief used your name during a traffic stop or arrest, or you want to pursue criminal charges.8Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit
Local police departments vary in how willingly they take identity theft reports, especially when the underlying crime happened in another jurisdiction. Bring your printed FTC Identity Theft Report along with collection letters, credit report printouts, and any fraudulent account statements, and ask the officer to incorporate the FTC report into the police file.9Office for Victims of Crime. Steps for Victims of Identity Theft or Fraud The more documentation you put in front of the officer, the harder it is to be turned away.
A Word on the False-Report Warning
The site warns that filing a false identity theft report is a federal crime.3Federal Trade Commission. IdentityTheft.gov Because the report goes to a federal agency, a knowingly false filing falls under the federal false statements statute, carrying up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally The penalty is what gives creditors reason to trust the reports they receive. If you’re a genuine victim, the warning isn’t a barrier — just enter what you know accurately, and estimate honestly where you have to.