How To Report Identity Theft To The FTC (Step-by-Step)

If someone stole your identity, the single most useful thing you can do right now is file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. It’s free, it takes about 20 minutes, and it’s the one document that unlocks almost everything else you’ll need — closing fraudulent accounts, disputing credit report errors, and filing a police report, if it comes to that.

Fast Facts

Detail	Info
Where to report	IdentityTheft.gov (English) or RobodeIdentidad.gov (Spanish)
Phone option	1-877-438-4338 (1-877-ID-THEFT); press 3 for other-language interpreters, 9 AM–5 PM ET
Cost	Free
Time to complete	About 15–20 minutes online
What you get	An FTC Identity Theft Report, a personalized recovery plan, and pre-filled dispute letters
Who runs it	The Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency for consumer protection

What to Do Before You Start

You don’t need to track down every detail before you begin — you can always update your report later if you learn more. But having a few things nearby makes the process faster:

Your Social Security number, though the site lets you choose how much personal information to share
Dates and account numbers for any fraudulent charges or accounts you’ve already spotted
Notes on any calls you’ve had with banks, credit bureaus, or debt collectors about the fraud

Any information you already have about who might have stolen your information

How to Report Identity Theft at IdentityTheft.gov — Step by Step

Go to IdentityTheft.gov and click “Get Started.” This is the FTC’s dedicated identity theft portal, separate from its general consumer complaint site.
Describe what happened. Click the statement that best matches your situation — fraudulent credit card charges, a hijacked bank account, tax-related identity theft, and so on — then add any extra details the site asks for.

Answer the follow-up questions. The site walks through several screens asking when you first noticed the problem, the dollar amount of any fraudulent charges, and whether you’ve already contacted the companies involved.
Add contact information for anyone you’ve already spoken to about the fraud, like a bank’s fraud department or a credit bureau.
Enter your name and a phone number. You choose how much contact information to share — only fill in what you’re comfortable providing.

Add details about the suspected thief, if you have any, including a name, address, or how you think they got your information. If you don’t know, you can skip this and continue.
Answer questions about your credit report and any fraud alerts you’ve already placed, if applicable.
Review and submit. The site generates your FTC Identity Theft Report immediately.
Print or save your report and recovery plan before you close the page. IdentityTheft.gov warns that once you leave, you can’t get that exact copy back — though you can create a free account first so your report and plan stay accessible later.

What Happens After You Submit Your Report

Once you submit, the FTC gives you two things: your Identity Theft Report (also called an ID Theft Affidavit) and a personalized recovery plan built around what you told it happened. The plan includes pre-filled letters you can send to creditors, debt collectors, and credit bureaus, plus a checklist to track your progress. If you created an account, you can log back in later to update your report or check off completed steps.

Your FTC report matters beyond the FTC itself. Banks, credit card companies, and credit bureaus generally accept it as proof you’re disputing fraudulent activity — you don’t need a separate police report for most of these disputes, though some accounts may ask for one anyway.

How to Report Identity Theft to the Federal Trade Commission?

If the Identity Theft Is Tax-Related

If someone filed a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number, IdentityTheft.gov gets you started, but it doesn’t finish the job — you need a separate step with the IRS. When you select tax-related identity theft on IdentityTheft.gov, the site can electronically forward an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (Form 14039) for you, or you can file it directly with the IRS by mail or fax. Once the IRS confirms you’re a victim, it typically issues you an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) each year, which you’ll need to include on future tax returns to stop someone else from filing under your name again. Skip the Form 14039 step, though, and the IRS side of the problem doesn’t get resolved just because you filed with the FTC.

Is There a Deadline to Report Identity Theft?

No. IdentityTheft.gov doesn’t have a filing deadline, so you can report fraud you just discovered or fraud from years ago. That said, reporting sooner matters for practical reasons — some banks and credit card issuers have their own time limits for disputing specific fraudulent charges, and old fraud can be harder to prove the longer it sits. If you’re only now discovering something that happened a while back, it’s still worth filing; you just may need more documentation to back up an older claim.

Do You Also Need a Police Report?

Sometimes. A police report matters most when you need to permanently block fraudulent information from your credit report, or when a company specifically demands one before it will resolve a dispute. If you do file one, bring:

Your printed FTC Identity Theft Report
A government-issued photo ID
Proof of your address, like a utility bill or lease
Any other evidence you have — bank statements, IRS notices, collection letters

Combining your police report with your FTC report creates what the FTC calls a full “Identity Theft Report,” which carries more legal weight than either document alone when you’re disputing debts or blocking fraudulent accounts from your credit file.

What Else to Do Alongside Your FTC Report

Reporting to the FTC is one piece of a larger response, not the whole thing. Alongside it:

Call the companies where fraud happened. Ask them to close or freeze the affected accounts, and change your passwords and PINs.
Place a free fraud alert with one credit bureau. Contact just one — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — since that bureau is required to notify the other two. A standard fraud alert lasts one year and makes it harder for a thief to open new accounts in your name.
Pull your credit reports. You can check them for free once a week at AnnualCreditReport.com, or by calling 877-322-8228. Look for accounts or charges you don’t recognize.
Consider a credit freeze. Unlike a fraud alert, a freeze blocks new credit from being opened in your name entirely, and it’s free by federal law — but you have to contact all three bureaus separately, since placing a freeze with one doesn’t notify the others.

Two Rights Your FTC Report Unlocks

Once you have an actual FTC Identity Theft Report in hand, two extra protections open up that a fraud alert or credit pull alone doesn’t give you:

A 7-year extended fraud alert. A standard fraud alert only lasts one year, but if you provide a credit bureau with your FTC Identity Theft Report or a police report, you can place an extended fraud alert instead — free, and it lasts seven years. You only need to request it at one bureau; that bureau notifies the other two.
The right to block fraudulent information from your credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, once you give a credit bureau proof of identity theft — your FTC report qualifies — the bureau must block the fraudulent accounts or charges from showing up on your credit report at all, rather than just noting that you’re disputing them.

Both of these depend on actually having the report, which is one more reason it’s worth filing even if you think the damage is minor.

If the identity theft traces back to a company data breach — one you were formally notified about — that breach’s own settlement (if one exists) is a separate process from your FTC report, and filing a claim there doesn’t take the place of reporting to the FTC or vice versa. If you’re not sure whether your information showed up in a specific breach, check the notice you received, or see whether a Palomar Health data breach settlement-style claim applies to your situation.

That report costs you nothing and takes less time than a lunch break — there’s no good reason to put it off once you know something’s wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reporting identity theft to the FTC free?

Yes. IdentityTheft.gov is a free government service. You never need to pay to file a report or get your recovery plan.

Does filing an FTC report mean the FTC will investigate my specific case?

Not directly. The FTC doesn’t resolve individual disputes or prosecute the thief. Your report feeds into Consumer Sentinel, a database law enforcement agencies use for broader investigations, while your personal recovery plan guides your own next steps.

Can I report identity theft to the FTC by phone instead of online?

Yes. Call 1-877-438-4338. English and Spanish are handled directly; press 3 for interpreters in other languages, available 9 AM to 5 PM ET.

What if I remember more details after I’ve already submitted my report?

You can update your report later if you created an account on IdentityTheft.gov when you filed. That’s part of why the site recommends creating one instead of filing anonymously.

Do I need a lawyer to report identity theft?

No. Reporting to the FTC is a free legal claim process you handle yourself. A consumer rights lawyer becomes useful if a company refuses to remove fraudulent charges or a debt collector won’t stop pursuing a debt that isn’t yours.

What’s the difference between an FTC report and an Identity Theft Report?

Your submission at IdentityTheft.gov is itself the FTC’s Identity Theft Report. Combining it with a local police report creates a stronger, combined document that carries more weight for permanently blocking fraudulent accounts from your credit file.

Does my FTC report get me a longer fraud alert?

Yes. A standard fraud alert lasts one year, but with your FTC Identity Theft Report or a police report, you can request a free extended fraud alert that lasts seven years from any one of the three credit bureaus.

Is a credit freeze the same as a fraud alert?

No. A fraud alert just asks lenders to verify your identity before opening credit, and one call covers all three bureaus. A credit freeze blocks new credit outright, is free by federal law, and requires contacting Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately.

Does IdentityTheft.gov handle tax-related identity theft too?

Partially. It can help forward an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (Form 14039), but resolving fraudulent tax filings and getting an IRS Identity Protection PIN happens through the IRS directly, not through the FTC report alone.

Is there a deadline to report identity theft to the FTC?

No. You can file a report at IdentityTheft.gov whether the fraud happened yesterday or years ago — there’s no cutoff, though older cases may need more supporting documentation.

Sources Used in This Article

Federal Trade Commission — Consumer Advice, “Report Identity Theft to the FTC”: https://consumer.ftc.gov
Federal Trade Commission — “Identity Theft: What to Do Right Away” (PDF-0204): https://www.bulkorder.ftc.gov/system/files/publications/pdf-0204_identitytheftwhat_to_do_right_away_0.pdf
Federal Trade Commission — IdentityTheft.gov, official reporting portal: https://www.identitytheft.gov/
Federal Trade Commission — “Free Credit Freezes Are Here”: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2018/09/free-credit-freezes-are-here
Internal Revenue Service — “When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit” (Form 14039 guidance): https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/when-to-file-an-identity-theft-affidavit

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against official FTC consumer guidance, as of September 16, 2026. Last Updated: September 16, 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.

How to Report Identity Theft to the Federal Trade Commission?