Discovering that someone opened a credit card — or any account — in your name is alarming, but the fix is a clear, fixed sequence of steps, and none of it should cost you a dollar. The order matters: closing the account stops new charges, freezing your credit stops more accounts, and the FTC report unlocks your legal rights to clear the damage. Work through the steps below in order, and keep a record of every call and letter.
Step 1: Call the card issuer’s fraud department
Start with the bank or company that issued the fraudulent card. Ask for the fraud or identity-theft department — not regular customer service — explain that the account was opened without your permission, and ask them to close it. The FTC’s guidance at IdentityTheft.gov is to call the company where the fraud happened, say someone stole your identity, and ask them to close or freeze the account. Request written confirmation that the account is closed and was not authorized by you; you will use that letter later when you clean up your credit report. Under federal law you are generally not responsible for fraudulent charges on an account you never opened, so do not agree to pay anything to make the call go faster.
Step 2: Place a free fraud alert or credit freeze
Next, lock down your credit so the thief cannot open more accounts. You have two free options under federal law. A fraud alert tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening credit; you contact only one of the three bureaus and that bureau must notify the other two. Since the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, a fraud alert lasts one year and is free. A credit freeze (security freeze) goes further by restricting access to your credit file entirely; freezes are also free under that 2018 law, but you must place one with each of the three bureaus separately and lift it yourself when you want new credit. Either is a strong move; a freeze offers the most protection.
Step 3: Report it at IdentityTheft.gov
Go to IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC’s official site (or call 1-877-438-4338). Enter the details of what happened, and the site generates two things: your FTC Identity Theft Report — the official affidavit that proves you are a victim — and a personalized recovery plan with step-by-step instructions. That Identity Theft Report is the key document that powers the rest of this process: the credit bureaus and the card issuer have to honor it. Print and save a copy, along with the recovery plan, because you will reference both when you dispute accounts in Step 5. This service is run by the federal government and is completely free.
Step 4: Consider a police report
A police report is not always required, but some creditors and bureaus ask for one before they will fully cooperate, and it can strengthen your case. Bring your FTC Identity Theft Report, a government-issued photo ID, proof of your address, and any evidence of the fraud (statements, letters, or notices) to your local police department, and ask for a copy of the report and a report number. Together, the FTC Identity Theft Report plus a police report make up what the law calls an identity theft report — the documentation the bureaus rely on to block fraudulent information quickly.
Step 5: Dispute the account and request a §605B block
Now clear the fraudulent account from your credit reports. Pull your free reports from the three bureaus, identify every account and charge you do not recognize, and send each bureau a dispute. For identity-theft accounts you have a faster, stronger remedy than an ordinary dispute: the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2 (Section 605B) requires a credit bureau to block information you identify as resulting from identity theft within four business days of receiving your identity theft report, proof of your identity, and a statement identifying the fraudulent information. In your letter, name § 605B explicitly, attach your FTC Identity Theft Report and ID, and list the exact account to block. See how to remove fraudulent accounts from your credit report for the full block procedure, and how to dispute with the credit bureaus for the general dispute mechanics. If a collector later contacts you about the fraud debt, remember you do not have to pay a debt from identity theft.
Step 6: Keep records and keep watching
Identity-theft recovery is rarely one and done. Keep a dated log of every call — who you spoke to and what they promised — and a file of every letter and confirmation. Use the credit report timeline to track each bureau’s deadlines so nothing slips. Over the following weeks, recheck your reports from all three bureaus to confirm the fraudulent account is gone and that no new ones have appeared. If a bureau or creditor ignores a valid § 605B request, you can escalate by filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the FTC, and where appropriate consult an attorney. Throughout all six steps, remember the central point: every action here is free. You never need to pay a credit-repair company to exercise rights the law already gives you — and if a collector keeps calling, you can also tell them to stop contacting you.