To report fraud to the credit bureaus, do four things in order: file an Identity Theft Report at IdentityTheft.gov, place a fraud alert by contacting any one of the three national bureaus, place a security freeze at each bureau separately, and then formally dispute any fraudulent accounts already showing on your file. The alert and freeze are free under federal law, the online steps take minutes, and the paperwork you pull together first controls how smoothly the rest goes.
Gather Your Documentation First
Every bureau interaction, online or by mail, asks for the same core information: your full legal name including any suffix, Social Security number, date of birth, current address, and every address you have had in the past two years.1Annual Credit Report.com. Filing a Dispute
You will also need a copy of a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, plus a utility bill or bank statement showing your current address.1Annual Credit Report.com. Filing a Dispute Send copies only. Bureaus do not return originals sent by mail.
A police report is not required for placing fraud alerts, freezes, or standard disputes. It matters in two situations: qualifying for the extended seven-year fraud alert, and forcing businesses to hand over records of accounts the thief opened in your name. Businesses can legally require a police report before releasing those records.2Federal Trade Commission. Businesses Must Provide Victims and Law Enforcement with Transaction Records Relating to Identity Theft If either step is likely for you, file the police report early so it is ready when a bureau or business asks.
File an FTC Identity Theft Report
Before contacting any bureau, go to IdentityTheft.gov and complete the FTC’s guided process. It asks what happened, which accounts were compromised, when you discovered the fraud, and what personal information was exposed. At the end it produces a personal recovery plan and a formal FTC Identity Theft Report.3Federal Trade Commission. Identity Theft – IdentityTheft.gov
That report is your official identity theft affidavit under federal law. You attach it when disputing fraudulent entries and when asking bureaus to block fraudulent accounts from your credit file. Bureaus must block reported fraudulent information within four business days of receiving your identity theft report along with proof of your identity and a description of the fraudulent accounts.4Federal Trade Commission. FCRA 605B (15 USC 1681c-2) Skip this step and you lose access to some of the stronger protections in the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Place a Fraud Alert With One Bureau
An initial fraud alert tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. It stays visible on your credit report and prompts extra scrutiny, but it does not block access to your file. Contact only one of the three national bureaus. Federal law requires that bureau to notify the other two, so a single request covers all three.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts
- Equifax: equifax.com or 888-836-63516Equifax. Place a Fraud Alert or Active Duty Alert
- TransUnion: transunion.com or 800-680-72897TransUnion. Fraud Victim Contacts
- Experian: experian.com or 888-397-37428Experian. How to Contact the Credit Bureaus
An initial alert lasts one year and can be renewed.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts When a lender sees it, they are supposed to take extra steps to confirm the applicant is really you. A determined thief with enough of your personal information can still get through, which is why the alert is best paired with a freeze.
Extended Alerts for Confirmed Victims
If you have actually been victimized rather than just suspect it, you qualify for an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts You must submit proof of the theft, such as a police report or a U.S. Postal Inspection Service report.9TransUnion. Extended Fraud Alert – Submit a Request The extended alert also removes you from the bureaus’ prescreened credit and insurance marketing lists for five years, cutting off one of the channels thieves exploit.10Consumer Advice. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts The one-call rule still applies.
Place a Security Freeze at Each Bureau
A freeze is the stronger tool. It locks your credit file so no one can pull your report, meaning a lender’s credit check on a new application comes back blocked even if the thief already has your Social Security number. The tradeoff is that you have to temporarily lift the freeze when you apply for a loan, rent an apartment, or do anything else that requires a credit inquiry. Freezes last until you remove them, do not affect your credit score, and are free to place and lift.10Consumer Advice. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
A freeze does not propagate the way an alert does. Contact each bureau separately using the phone numbers or websites above and select the freeze option. Each bureau’s portal walks you through setup in a few minutes and has you create a PIN or password you will need later to lift or remove the freeze. Keep the PIN somewhere secure. Losing it means a longer recovery process when you need to thaw your file.
Federal law requires bureaus to place the freeze within one business day of an online or phone request, or within three business days of a request by mail.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts There is no fee to place, lift, or remove a freeze at any of the three bureaus.11Federal Trade Commission. Free Credit Freezes Are Here
Watch the wording when you sign up. Some bureaus offer a “credit lock” that sounds like a freeze but is a separate product, sometimes with a monthly fee, and governed by the company’s terms of service rather than federal law. If you want the free protection guaranteed by statute, choose freeze, not lock.11Federal Trade Commission. Free Credit Freezes Are Here
Freezing a Child’s Credit
Federal law lets a parent or legal guardian place a free freeze on the credit file of anyone under 16. If a bureau does not already have a file on the child, it must create one solely to freeze it, and that file cannot be used for credit purposes.12Federal Trade Commission. New Protections Available for Minors Under 16 You will need to prove your authority, typically with a birth certificate, and verify your own identity. Contact each bureau separately, just as you would for your own freeze.
Dispute Fraudulent Accounts Already on Your File
Alerts and freezes stop new fraud. Disputes fix the damage already done. If a thief has opened accounts, run up charges, or otherwise polluted your credit file, formally dispute those entries with each bureau reporting them.
Disputing Online
Each bureau runs a dispute center on its website where you can upload the FTC Identity Theft Report and supporting documents. The system issues a confirmation number. Save it. That number is your only way to track the investigation and follow up if things stall. Online is faster and creates an immediate record, so it is the better route for most people.
Disputing by Mail
If you want a paper trail with legal weight, send your dispute package by certified mail with return receipt requested. The return receipt proves the date the bureau received your materials, which matters if a bureau misses a deadline and you need to enforce your rights in court. As of January 2026, USPS charges $5.30 for certified mail and $4.40 for return receipt, roughly $10 per bureau on top of regular postage.13Postal Explorer. Domestic Extra Services and Fees Include copies, never originals.
The Investigation Timeline
Once a bureau receives your dispute, it has 30 days to investigate and respond. If you submit additional supporting information during that window, the bureau gets an extra 15 days, extending the total to 45 days.14Federal Trade Commission. Consumer Reports – What Information Furnishers Need to Know Sending follow-up documents mid-investigation can buy the bureau more time, so submit everything at once if you can.
After the investigation ends, the bureau must notify you of the results within five business days. If the disputed account is confirmed as fraudulent, the bureau must delete or correct the entry. You are entitled to a free copy of your updated credit report after a successful dispute. Request it and verify the changes went through. Bureaus are required to follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy of your file, and a confirmed fraudulent entry that keeps reappearing is exactly the kind of failure that creates legal liability.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681e – Compliance Procedures
When the Bureau Does Not Fix Your Report
Add a Consumer Statement
If the investigation does not resolve the dispute in your favor, you have the right to add a brief written statement to your credit file explaining why you believe the information is wrong. The bureau can limit your statement to 100 words if it offers to help you write a clear summary, but your statement (or a summary of it) must be included in any future report that carries the disputed information.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681i – Procedure in Case of Disputed Accuracy A statement is not a fix, but it puts your side of the story on the record.
File a CFPB Complaint
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts credit reporting complaints at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB forwards your complaint to the bureau and requires a response. Most companies respond within 15 days, and can take up to 60 in more complex cases.17Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Learn How the Complaint Process Works These complaints create a formal record, and bureaus tend to take them more seriously than standard disputes because the regulator is watching. Include your dispute confirmation number and any evidence that deadlines were missed or documentation ignored.
Statutory Damages
If a bureau willfully fails to follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act, whether by ignoring a legitimate dispute, missing investigation deadlines, or continuing to report information it knows is fraudulent, you can sue for statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per violation without proving specific financial harm.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681n – Civil Liability for Willful Noncompliance You can also recover actual damages and attorney’s fees. The certified mail return receipts and dispute confirmation numbers are the evidence a court will want to see. Most people never get here, but the possibility is often enough to move a stalled dispute forward.