How to Report Identity Theft in Georgia (FTC, Police Report, and the Attorney General’s Office)

Someone is using your identity. Here’s how to report identity theft in Georgia, in the order that works: freeze your credit, file at IdentityTheft.gov, then take your FTC report to the police agency where you live.

The Georgia Attorney General’s office is a guide here, not the place that takes your report. That saves phone calls.

Who to Contact After Identity Theft in Georgia — Quick Reference

Who	What they do	How to reach them
FTC (IdentityTheft.gov)	Builds your recovery plan and Identity Theft Affidavit	identitytheft.gov, 1-877-438-4338
Your local police or sheriff	Takes your incident report	The agency where you live
Georgia AG Consumer Protection Division	Guidance, and complaints about businesses	(404) 651-8600, or (800) 869-1123 toll-free in Georgia
Equifax / Experian / TransUnion	Fraud alerts and free freezes	1-888-766-0008 / 1-888-397-3742 / 1-800-680-7289
Georgia Dept. of Driver Services	Stolen or misused license	678-413-8400
IRS	Tax identity theft	1-800-908-4490, Form 14039
Georgia Dept. of Labor	Unemployment claims you never filed	Online fraud reporting at dol.georgia.gov
Last Updated		September 21, 2026

What’s Different About Reporting Identity Theft in Georgia?

Identity fraud is a felony in Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 16-9-121, according to the Georgia Attorney General and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Both point you elsewhere. Specifically, they send you to the FTC and your local police agency.

Georgia law helps you here. Under O.C.G.A. § 16-9-125.1, you can go to the agency with jurisdiction over your actual residence, and that agency must make a report and hand you a copy. If another agency has jurisdiction, your local agency has to forward the report and tell you it did.

The crime also counts as committed in the county where you live, no matter where the thief was, under O.C.G.A. § 16-9-125. So you don’t have to work out where the thief sits. Just report where you live.

Live in Texas instead? Our sister guide, How To File A Police Report For Identity Theft In Texas?, covers that state’s process.

How to Report Identity Theft in Georgia — Step by Step

1. Call the company where the fraud happened. Ask your bank, card issuer, or retailer to hold the account and issue a replacement card. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized credit card use at $50, and many issuers waive it if you have a police report or Identity Theft Report. Follow every call with a letter.
2. Lock down your credit. Call one bureau to place a fraud alert, and it must notify the other two. The initial alert lasts one year. Then place a free freeze with each of the three using the numbers in the table above.
3. Report at IdentityTheft.gov. Answer the FTC’s questions and note your complaint reference number. Save or print your Identity Theft Affidavit before you leave the screen, because the Georgia AG warns you can’t get it afterward. Prefer the phone? Call 1-877-438-4338 (TTY 1-866-653-4261) and ask for your reference number and affidavit password.
4. File a police report where you live. Bring your affidavit, any other proof of the theft, proof of your address, and a government photo ID. Ask for a copy or the report number. Your FTC affidavit plus the police report make up your Identity Theft Report.
5. Use that report to clean up your credit. Pull free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com or 1-877-322-8228, dispute what isn’t yours, and ask each bureau in writing to block the fraud. A bureau that accepts your report and request must block the items within four days. You can also ask for an extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years.
6. Call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division if a business is involved. Counselors can talk you through next steps at (404) 651-8600. You can also file a complaint about a business you think acted in a fraudulent, unfair, or deceptive way. They can’t represent you or give legal advice.

Not sure what’s tied to your Social Security number? How To See All Accounts Associated With Your SSN shows how to find accounts you didn’t open.

Do steps 2 and 3 today. Everything else builds on them.

Georgia Residents Hit by Identity Theft in Another State — Where Do You Report?

Report where you live first, since Georgia law requires your local agency to take it. If the fraud happened somewhere else, the Georgia AG’s consumer site says to report it to law enforcement there too. Do both.

What If the Identity Theft Involves Your Driver’s License, Taxes, or Unemployment Benefits?

Some cases need a specific Georgia or federal office on top of the steps above.

• Driver’s license: Contact the Georgia Department of Driver Services, Special Issuance, P.O. Box 80447, Conyers, GA 30013, 678-413-8400.
• Tax identity theft: File IRS Form 14039 and call the IRS at 1-800-908-4490. The Georgia AG calls this the most common form of identity theft in Georgia and nationwide.
• Unemployment benefits: Report it to the Georgia Department of Labor through its online fraud reporting, which it calls its preferred method.
• Social Security number misuse at work: Request your earnings statement at 800-772-1213, then contact Social Security at 800-269-0271 if it confirms misuse.

Did a letter about unemployment benefits or taxes show up for something you never filed, or did a 1099-G list income you never received? Don’t toss it.

When Should You Talk to a Lawyer About Georgia Identity Theft?

You don’t need a lawyer to report. But if the theft cost you money, wrecked your credit, or traces back to a company that lost your data, a consumer rights lawyer can tell you whether an identity theft lawsuit or another claim makes sense.

The Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division represents the public as a whole, not any one person. That’s by design. A free legal consultation with a data privacy attorney can help if a breach is behind your case.

Breach claims are a separate track. If your data was exposed in one, see how a real settlement works in Fidelity $2.5M Data Breach Settlement: How To File A Claim. A lawyer can’t erase the fraud, but one can help you pursue compensation for damages.

How to Report Identity Theft in Georgia — Frequently Asked Questions

Do I report identity theft to the Georgia Attorney General?

Not as your first stop. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division points victims to IdentityTheft.gov and their local police. It takes complaints about businesses at (404) 651-8600 and offers counselors by phone, but it doesn’t represent individuals.

Can Georgia police refuse to take my identity theft report?

Georgia law says the agency with jurisdiction over your residence shall make a report and give you a copy. The same law preserves an agency’s discretion over how it spends investigative resources. So expect a report, not a guaranteed investigation.

What do I bring to a Georgia police report for identity theft?

Bring your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit, any other proof of the theft, proof of your address, and a government photo ID. You can add the FTC’s Memo to Law Enforcement. Ask for a copy of the report or at least the report number.

Is a credit freeze free in Georgia?

Yes. The Georgia AG says residents can freeze their file for free with each of the three bureaus. A temporary lift, called a thaw, should take effect electronically within 15 minutes, and a freeze doesn’t affect your credit score.

How long does a fraud alert last in Georgia?

The Georgia AG’s data breach page says an initial fraud alert lasts one year. An extended alert lasts seven years but requires an Identity Theft Report. Contacting one bureau is enough, since it must notify the other two.

What if the thief used my Georgia driver’s license?

Contact the Georgia Department of Driver Services Special Issuance office at 678-413-8400, or write to P.O. Box 80447, Conyers, GA 30013. Also include the license details in your FTC report and your police report so every record matches.

What if someone filed for unemployment in my name in Georgia?

Report it to the Georgia Department of Labor through its online fraud reporting. Warning signs include mail about a claim you never filed, unexpected payments or debit cards, and a 1099-G showing benefits you never received.

Do I need a lawyer to report identity theft in Georgia?

No. You can complete the FTC report, the police report, and the credit steps yourself, and the AG’s office doesn’t represent individuals. A consumer rights lawyer becomes worth a call if you’ve lost money or want to pursue whoever exposed your data.

Sources Used in This Georgia Identity Theft Reporting Guide

• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — “Identity Theft: What To Do If It Happens To You”: https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/identity-theft-what-do-if-it-happens-you
• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — “Identity Theft,” Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults: https://consumer.georgia.gov/identity-theft
• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — “General FAQs”: https://consumer.georgia.gov/organization/about-us/faqs/general-faqs
• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — “Data Breaches: How to Protect Your Information,” October 2022: https://consumer.georgia.gov/data-breaches-how-protect-your-information
• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — “Tips for Victims,” ConsumerEd: https://consumered.georgia.gov/tips-victims
• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — press release on Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, January 31, 2023: https://consumer.georgia.gov/press-releases/2023-01-31/ag-carr-department-revenue-and-better-business-bureau-recognize-tax
• Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (.gov) — “Identity Theft: Income Tax Identity Theft”: https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/identity-theft-income-tax-identity-theft
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation (.gov) — “Identity Theft”: https://investigative-gbi.georgia.gov/investigative-offices-and-services/other-services/identity-theft
• Georgia Department of Labor (.gov) — “Unemployment Fraud Information”: https://dol.georgia.gov/node/1866
• FTC (.gov) — IdentityTheft.gov: https://www.identitytheft.gov/
• Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 16-9-125.1, Victim’s right to file report: https://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-16-crimes-and-offenses/ga-code-sect-16-9-125-1/
• Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 16-9-125, County of offense: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-16/chapter-9/article-8/section-16-9-125/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against Georgia Attorney General Consumer Protection Division pages, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Department of Labor, and Georgia identity fraud statutes (O.C.G.A. §§ 16-9-121, 16-9-125, 16-9-125.1), as of September 21, 2026. Last Updated: September 21, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.