Recovery After Identity Theft
Learn the five steps to recover after identity theft — fraud alerts, credit freezes, FTC reporting, police reports, and ongoing monitoring.
Lesson content
Summary
If your information has been stolen, acting quickly can limit the damage. Follow these five recovery steps.
Step 1: Place a Fraud Alert
Contact one credit bureau — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. That bureau must tell the other two. A fraud alert makes it harder for someone to open accounts in your name.
Step 2: Freeze Your Credit
Credit freezes are free. A freeze stops new accounts from being opened without your permission. You can lift the freeze when you need to apply for credit.
Step 3: Report Identity Theft to the FTC
File a report at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC will give you a recovery plan and an official report you can share with creditors and police.
Step 4: File a Police Report If Appropriate
A police report creates an official record. This can help when disputing fraudulent charges or accounts.
Step 5: Watch Your Accounts
Continue monitoring:
- Credit reports
- Bank accounts
- Medicare records
- Investment accounts
Hawaii Resources
- Annual Credit Report: AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228
- Senior Medicare Patrol (Hawaii): (808) 586-7281 or 1-800-296-9422
- Hawaii SHIP: (808) 586-7299
The Three Golden Rules
- Pause before acting.
- Verify using official contact information.
- Ask for help if something feels wrong.
Step-by-step actions
- Place a fraud alert by contacting one credit bureau.
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus — it is free.
- Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
- File a police report if appropriate.
- Monitor credit reports, bank accounts, Medicare records, and investments.
- Call Hawaii Senior Medicare Patrol at (808) 586-7281 for Medicare-related identity theft.
Recovery Checklist
- Place a fraud alert (contact one credit bureau)
- Freeze your credit (all three bureaus)
- Report at IdentityTheft.gov
- File a police report if appropriate
- Monitor credit, bank, Medicare, and investment accounts
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