To report someone using your Social Security number, start at IdentityTheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission’s central portal for identity theft victims. Filing there generates an official FTC Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan you’ll use with every other agency. From there, notify the IRS if your number was used on a tax return or for a job, alert the Social Security Administration, place fraud alerts or a freeze with the three credit bureaus, and file a police report. Each step creates a paper trail that shifts liability off you, and speed matters because fraudulent debts and tax filings get harder to unwind the longer they sit.
Start at IdentityTheft.gov
Go to IdentityTheft.gov and complete the online form describing what happened. If you’d rather talk to someone, call 1-877-438-4338.1Federal Trade Commission. IdentityTheft.gov: Identity Theft Recovery Steps The form asks for your personal information, the types of fraud you found, and the dates you first noticed something wrong. Include everything you can, even details that feel redundant.
Once you submit, the system produces two things: an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan with step-by-step instructions. Create an account so the site can track your progress and pre-fill dispute letters to creditors and credit bureaus. If you skip the account, print everything before you leave the page, because you lose access the moment you close it.2Federal Trade Commission. Identity Theft Reporting and Recovery
That FTC Identity Theft Report is the single most important document in your recovery. Creditors, credit bureaus, and law enforcement all accept it as proof that you reported the theft. Keep digital and physical copies within reach, because you’ll be referring back to it for months.
Report Tax-Related Misuse to the IRS
If someone used your Social Security number to file a fraudulent tax return, or to get a job so their employer is reporting wages under your number, the FTC report alone won’t flag your tax account. You have to contact the IRS separately.
File IRS Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit, online at irs.gov. Check Box 1 in Section B if someone filed a fraudulent return in your name. The form asks which tax years were affected and how you discovered the problem, and you sign under penalty of perjury, so stick to what you actually know.3Internal Revenue Service. Identity Theft Affidavit Form 14039 If you’re also filing a paper tax return, attach Form 14039 to the back of it. Otherwise submit it online, mail it to the IRS in Fresno, CA, or fax it to 855-807-5720 with a cover sheet marked “Confidential.”
Then apply for an Identity Protection PIN. An IP PIN is a six-digit number the IRS assigns to you that has to appear on your return before it will be accepted, which blocks anyone else from filing under your number. The fastest route is through your IRS online account. If you can’t verify your identity online and your adjusted gross income is below $84,000 ($168,000 for married filing jointly), submit Form 15227; the IRS will call to verify your identity and then mail the PIN in four to six weeks.4Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN Parents and legal guardians can request an IP PIN for a dependent as well.
Be patient. The Taxpayer Advocate Service reported an average processing time of 506 days for IRS identity theft cases during the first part of fiscal year 2025.5Taxpayer Advocate Service. Identity Theft Awareness and Update on IRS Processing of Identity Theft Victim Assistance Cases Getting the IP PIN in place immediately protects you from repeat filings while the IRS works through the case.
Report to the Social Security Administration
The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigates Social Security numbers used to collect government benefits or to work illegally. File your report online at oig.ssa.gov or call the fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271, open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern.6Office of the Inspector General. Report Fraud Save the confirmation number the system gives you.
If someone has been working under your number, their employer’s wage reports land on your earnings record and can distort your future Social Security benefits. Create a free my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount and review your earnings history for income you don’t recognize.7Social Security Administration. How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record If unfamiliar wages appear, take your FTC Identity Theft Report to your local Social Security office so they can begin correcting the record.8Social Security Administration. Fraud Prevention and Reporting
Lock Your SSN Against Employment Fraud
The Department of Homeland Security offers a free tool called Self Lock through myE-Verify that places a lock on your Social Security number inside the E-Verify system. While the lock is active, any employer running your number through E-Verify will get a mismatch, which blocks someone from being hired in your name at any company that uses the system.9E-Verify. Self Lock Create a USCIS myAccount, set up three security questions, and activate the lock. If you later start a job with an E-Verify employer, log in and unlock the number before your first day.
Contact the Credit Bureaus
The credit bureaus are where you stop the immediate financial bleeding. You have two tools: fraud alerts and credit freezes. They work differently, and most identity theft victims should use both.
Fraud Alerts
An initial fraud alert lasts one year and requires creditors to take reasonable steps to verify your identity before opening any new account. You only need to contact one of the three national bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion); that bureau is legally required to notify the other two.10Consumer Advice (FTC). Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts You can renew it when it expires.
If you have an FTC Identity Theft Report or a police report, you qualify for an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years. The same one-call rule applies.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts Because identity theft can echo for years, request the extended alert as soon as you have the documentation.
Credit Freezes
A credit freeze goes further. It locks your credit file entirely so no one, including you, can open a new account until you lift it. Federal law makes freezes free to place and lift.12Federal Trade Commission. Starting Today, New Federal Law Allows Consumers to Place Free Credit Freezes and Yearlong Fraud Alerts Unlike fraud alerts, you have to contact each bureau separately, and each gives you a PIN or confirmation code you’ll need to thaw or remove the freeze later. Store those codes somewhere secure.
The freeze stays in place indefinitely. When you need to apply for a mortgage, car loan, or new card, you can temporarily lift it at one or all three bureaus for a set period. Most bureaus process lift requests within minutes online.
File a Police Report
A police report creates an official criminal record of the theft and is sometimes required by creditors or insurers before they’ll reverse fraudulent charges. Take your FTC Identity Theft Report and a government-issued photo ID to your local police station and ask to file with the fraud or identity theft division.
Bring any evidence you’ve gathered: unauthorized account statements, IRS notices about returns you didn’t file, or collection letters for debts you didn’t incur. The officer will generate a report with a case number. Keep that number with the rest of your recovery documents.
Some departments handle identity theft routinely; others don’t. Under federal law, creditors and credit bureaus must accept your FTC Identity Theft Report as the basis for blocking fraudulent information from your credit file, so the FTC report carries legal weight on its own even if the police process is slow.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-2 – Block of Information Resulting From Identity Theft Filing both still puts you in the strongest position, and a police report is what qualifies you for the seven-year extended fraud alert.
If the Victim Is a Child
Children are appealing targets because a stolen number can sit unused for years until the child applies for their first credit card or student loan. The process resembles the adult version with a few key differences.
First, find out whether a credit file exists in your child’s name. Children under 18 generally shouldn’t have one unless someone has fraudulently used their information. Contact each of the three bureaus and request a manual search. TransUnion and Experian offer online inquiry forms; Equifax requires a mailed request.14Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Check to See if a Child Has a Credit Report You’ll likely need your own ID, your child’s birth certificate, and their Social Security card.
If fraudulent accounts turn up, contact each company’s fraud department, ask them to close the account, and get written confirmation that your child isn’t responsible for it. Then report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov the same way you would as an adult. For children under 16, you can request a free credit freeze at each bureau, and it stays in place until you request removal. Teens who are 16 or 17 can place and remove their own freeze.15Consumer Advice (FTC). How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft
What Happens After You Report
Recovery is not fast. Agencies work on their own timelines, and you should expect weeks to months of follow-up correspondence. Investigators may contact you by mail or phone for additional details. Keep confirmation numbers, case numbers, and letters organized in one place so you can respond quickly.
Credit bureaus typically activate fraud alerts and freezes within minutes and send written confirmation afterward. Blocking fraudulent information from your credit report is a separate step: once a credit bureau receives your identity theft report and your identification of the fraudulent accounts, it has to block that information within four business days.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c-2 – Block of Information Resulting From Identity Theft
Federal penalties for identity theft are significant. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1028, using someone else’s identification to commit fraud carries up to 15 years in prison when the crime involves government-issued documents or yields more than $1,000 in a year, and up to 20 years when tied to drug trafficking, a violent crime, or a prior conviction.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1028 – Fraud and Related Activity in Connection With Identification Documents, Authentication Features, and Information Aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A adds a mandatory two-year sentence on top of the underlying sentence, and courts can’t run it concurrently.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1028A – Aggravated Identity Theft Whether a particular thief is caught depends on law enforcement resources, but the paper trail you build through these reports is what makes prosecution possible.
Plan to check your credit reports regularly for at least a year. Pull free reports through AnnualCreditReport.com and review your my Social Security earnings statement periodically for new fraudulent activity. Once your number is in circulation it can be resold, so identity theft tends to recur. The credit freeze and IP PIN you’ve put in place are your ongoing defense.