Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission, for example to open accounts, borrow money or file a tax return in your name. If you suspect it, report it to the FTC, ask the credit bureaus for a fraud alert or freeze, and tell your banks.
What information do thieves want?
USAGov lists names and addresses, credit card and Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and medical insurance account numbers. Any one of these can be enough for a first step. A date of birth plus an address can help a criminal pass weak identity checks at another company, which unlocks more data.
That is why a small leak matters. A stolen email password rarely ends with the email account. The attacker searches the mailbox for statements, tax forms and password reset links, then reaches the accounts those messages describe.
How would you know it is happening?
You may not know right away. USAGov names these warning signs:
- Bills for items you did not buy.
- Debt collection calls for accounts you did not open.
- Accounts on your credit report that you did not open.
- Loan applications denied for reasons you cannot explain.
- Mail that stops arriving or goes missing.
Add one for people who work in tech: unexpected password reset emails or login alerts from services you do use. These often show up before any financial sign does.
How does it usually start?
USAGov lists routes in the physical and digital world: stolen wallets, rummaging through trash for statements, card skimmers at ATMs and fuel pumps, phishing by email, text or phone, public Wi-Fi, and details collected from social media posts or online quizzes.
A constructed example: someone posts a photo of a new bank card to celebrate a first job. The number and name are readable. Within a day the card is used for small test purchases. The fix is not clever. Post nothing that shows account details, and turn on transaction alerts so tests are caught within minutes.
What are the first steps after discovering it?
USAGov's guidance is to contact the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone, contact the three major credit reporting agencies to ask for fraud alerts and a credit freeze, and call the fraud department at your card issuers, bank and other places where you hold accounts. IdentityTheft.gov provides a step-by-step recovery list. For tax-related identity theft where you have no IRS notice yet, USAGov points to Form 14039.
Do things in this order of speed: stop the money first (banks, cards), then lock your credit file, then report, then work through the recovery plan.
What about tax-related identity theft?
USAGov covers a specific case. If you believe someone used your information to file a tax return, and the IRS has not yet sent you a notice about it, you can file Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit. USAGov says completing the affidavit will invalidate a fraudulent return filed using your information. Keep copies of everything you send, and note the date and the name of each person you speak with while you recover.
How to check or apply this
- Review card and bank statements monthly, and turn on transaction alerts.
- Get your credit report and read every account on it. Look for ones you do not recognize.
- Use unique passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication for email first, then banking.
- Do not give your Social Security number or date of birth to unsolicited callers, texts or emails.
- Collect mail daily and place a hold when you travel.
- Decide ahead of time who you would call first. Keep the card issuer fraud numbers somewhere that does not depend on the account being safe.
- If you work in security, share this list with your family. Home accounts are a common path into work accounts.
Quick check
Is a credit freeze the same as a fraud alert?
No. USAGov recommends asking the credit bureaus for both fraud alerts and a credit freeze as separate protective steps. Ask each bureau what it offers and how to lift a freeze later.
Where do you report identity theft in the United States?
At IdentityTheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's reporting site, or by phone at the number listed on USAGov. Report to your banks and card issuers too.
Sources
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026.
