01 / Understand
What is happening?
Identity theft means someone uses your personal information without permission. It may involve a new credit account, an existing account, tax records or benefits. An alert is a reason to check; it is not, on its own, proof that every part of your identity has been stolen.
If you see a fraudulent account or other confirmed misuse, document it and contact the affected institution. US residents can use IdentityTheft.gov for an official report and a personalized recovery plan. You do not need to buy a monitoring service to take these steps.
02 / Act without spending
Your free first steps
- 01
Start an official recovery plan.
For suspected or confirmed identity theft in the US, IdentityTheft.gov provides reporting and recovery steps. Keep your report and reference numbers. If money is moving now, contact the bank or payment provider immediately.
Go to IdentityTheft.gov - 02
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
US credit freezes and unfreezes are free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Contact each bureau separately and keep its access or recovery information safe. A freeze is not the same as a paid credit lock.
- 03
Contact affected institutions through trusted channels.
Tell the fraud department which accounts or transactions are not yours. Follow its dispute process and keep copies of correspondence. Review your credit reports for unfamiliar accounts.
- 04
Secure email and account recovery.
Change compromised or reused passwords, enable multifactor authentication and remove unfamiliar recovery methods or sessions. Your email account often controls access to other accounts.
An important reality check
What tools cannot promise
Paid identity monitoring may offer alerts or recovery assistance, but it does not prevent all identity theft and is not a substitute for free credit freezes. Insurance and assistance have eligibility rules, exclusions and limits. Our US credit guidance may not apply in another country.
03 / Common questions
A few things worth knowing
What should I do before shopping for identity protection?
If there is actual misuse, contact the affected financial institution promptly and use IdentityTheft.gov for a US reporting and recovery plan. Consider free credit freezes at all three bureaus and secure your accounts. Shopping for monitoring can wait.
Are US credit freezes really free?
Yes. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You must contact all three. Paid credit locks and monitoring subscriptions are separate products and are not required to obtain a freeze.
Can a removal service erase my identity from the internet?
No. Removal services can request removal from some data broker sites, but coverage varies, records can return and not all information can be removed. Many opt-outs are also available for you to submit yourself.
Further help from official sources
These are established guidance resources, not a claim of new research or an endorsement of any paid tool. Check the official pages for current instructions.