Identity theft has its own process, and it is faster and stronger than an ordinary dispute — but only if you build it on the right documentation. That starts at IdentityTheft.gov, before you write to anyone.
Published August 2, 2026 · Educational information — not legal, tax, lending, or financial advice.
Quick answer
If information on your credit report resulted from identity theft, do not file it as an ordinary dispute. Go to IdentityTheft.gov first: the FTC’s site walks you through reporting, generates an FTC Identity Theft Report, and produces a personalized recovery plan. With that report, appropriate proof of your identity, a clear identification of each fraudulent item, and your statement that the information does not relate to any transaction by you, a credit reporting company must block the reporting of that information — generally within four business days of receiving what it needs. That is far faster than the 30-day dispute clock. It also carries a serious obligation: everything you state must be true.
VERIFY YOUR ACCOUNT DETAILS FIRST
Use your current 3-bureau account information before editing this letter
Account numbers, balances, payment history, dates, and reporting details must match your current credit reports. Open your 3-bureau monitoring account and verify the information before completing the template.
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Send a separate letter to each credit reporting company showing fraudulent information. List every fraudulent item in one place so nothing is missed, and be precise about which entries you are identifying — the request applies only to those.
Three pre-addressed versions of this letter are provided below — choose the bureau whose report shows the item. Dispute with every bureau that shows it, using one letter per bureau.
Equifax Letter — identity theft block request to a credit reporting company
[FULL NAME][STREET ADDRESS][CITY, STATE ZIP][DATE]
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
Re: Identity theft — request to block fraudulent information
To whom it may concern:
I am a victim of identity theft. Information in my credit file resulted from that identity theft, and I am asking you to block the reporting of it.
I have identified the following items on my Equifax report dated [REPORT DATE] as resulting from identity theft:
1. [COMPANY NAME], account ending [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] — [WHAT THE ENTRY IS: account, collection, or inquiry]
2. [COMPANY NAME], account ending [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] — [WHAT THE ENTRY IS]
3. [ADD OR DELETE ROWS AS NEEDED]
I did not open these accounts, authorize these inquiries, or incur these debts. The information listed above does not relate to any transaction by me.
BLOCK REQUEST SUMMARY
Credit bureau: Equifax
Report date: [REPORT DATE]
Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov on: [FTC REPORT DATE]
Identity Theft Report number: [FTC REPORT NUMBER]
Number of items identified as resulting from identity theft: [NUMBER]
Proof of identity enclosed: [LIST WHAT YOU ARE ENCLOSING]
Proof of current address enclosed: [LIST WHAT YOU ARE ENCLOSING]
Requested action: block the reporting of the items listed above under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2, notify each furnisher, and send written confirmation
Enclosed are copies of the following: my FTC Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov on [FTC REPORT DATE], report number [FTC REPORT NUMBER]; [POLICE REPORT DETAILS, IF ANY]; proof of my identity; proof of my current address; and a marked copy of the report pages showing each item above.
Please block the reporting of the information identified above, notify the furnisher of each item, and send me written confirmation together with an updated copy of my credit report.
[OPTIONAL: Please also place a fraud alert on my file and confirm that you have notified the other nationwide credit reporting companies.]
These enclosures are copies; I have retained the originals. You may contact me in writing at the address above.
Sincerely,
[FULL NAME]
Enclosures: [NUMBER]
Mail this letter with copies of your supporting documents — never originals. See the mailing and recordkeeping checklist on this page before you send.
Experian Letter — identity theft block request to a credit reporting company
[FULL NAME][STREET ADDRESS][CITY, STATE ZIP][DATE]
Experian
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
Re: Identity theft — request to block fraudulent information
To whom it may concern:
I am a victim of identity theft. Information in my credit file resulted from that identity theft, and I am asking you to block the reporting of it.
I have identified the following items on my Experian report dated [REPORT DATE] as resulting from identity theft:
1. [COMPANY NAME], account ending [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] — [WHAT THE ENTRY IS: account, collection, or inquiry]
2. [COMPANY NAME], account ending [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] — [WHAT THE ENTRY IS]
3. [ADD OR DELETE ROWS AS NEEDED]
I did not open these accounts, authorize these inquiries, or incur these debts. The information listed above does not relate to any transaction by me.
BLOCK REQUEST SUMMARY
Credit bureau: Experian
Report date: [REPORT DATE]
Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov on: [FTC REPORT DATE]
Identity Theft Report number: [FTC REPORT NUMBER]
Number of items identified as resulting from identity theft: [NUMBER]
Proof of identity enclosed: [LIST WHAT YOU ARE ENCLOSING]
Proof of current address enclosed: [LIST WHAT YOU ARE ENCLOSING]
Requested action: block the reporting of the items listed above under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2, notify each furnisher, and send written confirmation
Enclosed are copies of the following: my FTC Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov on [FTC REPORT DATE], report number [FTC REPORT NUMBER]; [POLICE REPORT DETAILS, IF ANY]; proof of my identity; proof of my current address; and a marked copy of the report pages showing each item above.
Please block the reporting of the information identified above, notify the furnisher of each item, and send me written confirmation together with an updated copy of my credit report.
[OPTIONAL: Please also place a fraud alert on my file and confirm that you have notified the other nationwide credit reporting companies.]
These enclosures are copies; I have retained the originals. You may contact me in writing at the address above.
Sincerely,
[FULL NAME]
Enclosures: [NUMBER]
Mail this letter with copies of your supporting documents — never originals. See the mailing and recordkeeping checklist on this page before you send.
TransUnion Letter — identity theft block request to a credit reporting company
[FULL NAME][STREET ADDRESS][CITY, STATE ZIP][DATE]
TransUnion Consumer Solutions
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000
Re: Identity theft — request to block fraudulent information
To whom it may concern:
I am a victim of identity theft. Information in my credit file resulted from that identity theft, and I am asking you to block the reporting of it.
I have identified the following items on my TransUnion report dated [REPORT DATE] as resulting from identity theft:
1. [COMPANY NAME], account ending [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] — [WHAT THE ENTRY IS: account, collection, or inquiry]
2. [COMPANY NAME], account ending [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] — [WHAT THE ENTRY IS]
3. [ADD OR DELETE ROWS AS NEEDED]
I did not open these accounts, authorize these inquiries, or incur these debts. The information listed above does not relate to any transaction by me.
BLOCK REQUEST SUMMARY
Credit bureau: TransUnion
Report date: [REPORT DATE]
Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov on: [FTC REPORT DATE]
Identity Theft Report number: [FTC REPORT NUMBER]
Number of items identified as resulting from identity theft: [NUMBER]
Proof of identity enclosed: [LIST WHAT YOU ARE ENCLOSING]
Proof of current address enclosed: [LIST WHAT YOU ARE ENCLOSING]
Requested action: block the reporting of the items listed above under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2, notify each furnisher, and send written confirmation
Enclosed are copies of the following: my FTC Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov on [FTC REPORT DATE], report number [FTC REPORT NUMBER]; [POLICE REPORT DETAILS, IF ANY]; proof of my identity; proof of my current address; and a marked copy of the report pages showing each item above.
Please block the reporting of the information identified above, notify the furnisher of each item, and send me written confirmation together with an updated copy of my credit report.
[OPTIONAL: Please also place a fraud alert on my file and confirm that you have notified the other nationwide credit reporting companies.]
These enclosures are copies; I have retained the originals. You may contact me in writing at the address above.
Sincerely,
[FULL NAME]
Enclosures: [NUMBER]
Mail this letter with copies of your supporting documents — never originals. See the mailing and recordkeeping checklist on this page before you send.
What every bracketed placeholder means
[FULL NAME] Your name as it appears on the report.
[STREET ADDRESS] / [CITY, STATE ZIP] Your current mailing address.
[DATE] The date you are mailing the letter.
Bureau name and mailing address Pre-filled in each version above. Use the Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion letter that matches the report showing the item — still one company per letter, and dispute with every bureau that shows the error.
[REPORT DATE] The date of the report copy you are working from.
[COMPANY NAME] / [ACCOUNT NUMBER — LAST FOUR DIGITS] / [WHAT THE ENTRY IS] One numbered row per fraudulent item. Last four digits only.
[FTC REPORT DATE] / [FTC REPORT NUMBER] From the FTC Identity Theft Report you downloaded at IdentityTheft.gov.
[POLICE REPORT DETAILS, IF ANY] Agency, report number, and date. Delete if you have not filed one.
[OPTIONAL: fraud alert request] Keep or delete. A fraud alert is free and one bureau must tell the other two.
[NUMBER] How many pages or items you enclosed.
Replace every placeholder with your own accurate details, and delete any line that does not apply to your situation. Do not send this wording as-is, and do not send the same generic paragraph about several unrelated accounts — a letter that identifies no specific error can be treated as frivolous and closed without an investigation.
Start from what your report actually says
A letter is only as good as the facts behind it. Before you write, get a current picture of all three files: your scores, your account summaries, the negative items, the alerts, and the factors moving your score. That is what tells you which template you need, which bureau to write to, and which month or field is actually wrong.
AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized source for the free reports federal law entitles you to, and it is the right starting point for a dispute. If you also want an ongoing three-bureau view while you work, optional monitoring through MyFreeScoreNow is one way to get it — an independent third-party platform, useful for reviewing and planning, and no substitute for your federally authorized reports. No monitoring service files disputes for you, corrects anything on your behalf, or guarantees any result.
Who this letter is for
This letter is for someone who has found accounts, inquiries, addresses, or collections on a credit report that resulted from identity theft — not accounts they opened and later regretted, and not accounts opened by a family member with their knowledge. It is addressed to each credit reporting company showing the fraudulent information. Because it is built on a report you file with a federal agency, it belongs only to genuine identity theft. Filing a false identity theft report is a serious misrepresentation, and it is also a poor strategy: the account remains, and your credibility does not.
When this letter may be appropriate
An account appears on your report that you never opened
A hard inquiry appears from a company you never applied to
A collection appears for a debt you never incurred
Addresses, names, or employers appear that were used by someone impersonating you
A legitimate account of yours was taken over and used without your authorization
Fraudulent activity has spread across two or three bureau files
You have already filed at IdentityTheft.gov and have your FTC Identity Theft Report in hand
When this letter is not appropriate
The account is yours and you simply do not want it on your report
A family member or friend opened the account with your permission
You authorized someone to use your card and now regret it — that is a billing or account dispute, not identity theft
The entry is an ordinary reporting error on a real account of yours
You have not yet filed at IdentityTheft.gov — the report is the foundation; write the letter after you have it
You are being advised to label accurate accounts as fraud to get them removed
An identity theft report is a statement to the federal government, and it should only be filed when a theft has actually occurred. Two situations look like fraud at first glance and usually are not:
Unauthorized Credit Inquiry Dispute Letter Template — an unfamiliar hard inquiry, with no unfamiliar accounts. Most trace back to a financing partner, a parent company, or a dealership that shopped an application you did make
Personal Information Correction Letter Template — a wrong name, address, or employer, with no unfamiliar accounts. Often a clerical error, or a mixed file caused by a relative with a similar name
Work out which you are dealing with before you file. If accounts you do not recognize appear alongside the inquiry or the wrong identifiers, this page is the right one — those pages both point back here.
What this letter rests on
An identity-theft block is a different and stronger remedy than an ordinary dispute, and it comes from section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2. Under that section a credit reporting company must block the reporting of information you identify as having resulted from identity theft, generally within four business days of receiving four things:
Appropriate proof of your identity
A copy of an identity theft report
Your identification of the specific information to be blocked
Your statement that the information does not relate to any transaction by you
Those four elements are why the enclosure checklist on this page matters more than the wording of the letter. A block request missing one of them is not a block request yet. The bureau must also promptly notify the furnisher that the information may be the result of identity theft and that a report has been filed.
How this differs from an ordinary dispute. A dispute under section 611 asks a bureau to investigate whether information is accurate, and the answer comes back after an investigation. A block under section 605B does not ask anyone to weigh the evidence about the underlying debt; it asks that information resulting from a reported crime stop being reported about you, on a much shorter clock. That is a substantial protection, which is precisely why it depends on a genuine identity theft report.
Never claim identity theft for an account you opened or authorized. An identity theft report is a statement to the federal government. A bureau may decline to block, or rescind a block, if it reasonably determines the block was requested on the basis of a material misrepresentation — and a false report is a far more serious matter than an unwelcome tradeline. If a debt is yours and you simply cannot pay it, that is a different problem with different and legitimate answers.
Documents you may need
This is the letter where documentation does the heavy lifting. Assemble the package before you write:
Your FTC Identity Theft Report from IdentityTheft.gov — download and save the PDF; you will use it repeatedly
A police report, where you have filed one or where a creditor requires it
Appropriate proof of your identity — typically a copy of a government-issued ID
Proof of your current address, such as a utility bill or bank statement
A marked copy of each report page showing every fraudulent item
A written list identifying each fraudulent account, inquiry, or entry, with the company name and any account number shown
Any correspondence you have already had with the affected companies
Keep your originals; send copies. Nothing you mail comes back. Photocopy or scan every document, send the copy, and file the original where you can find it again — if an item reappears months later, that file is your entire case.
A note on identifying information: recipients sometimes ask for proof of identity and address. Provide only what the recipient asks for, only in your mailed or securely uploaded letter, and never publish or type a full Social Security number into any web page — including this one. This site does not collect, transmit, store, or pre-fill any of your information.
Protecting your own information
Send copies, never originals — nothing you mail comes back. Mask account numbers down to the last four digits wherever the last four are enough to identify the account, and black out unrelated account numbers, balances, and other people’s information on any statement or report page you enclose.
Do not write a full Social Security number into a sample letter, and never type one into a web page — including this one. If a recipient asks for identity verification, send only what that recipient actually asks for, use its own secure channel where one exists, and do not paste a photograph of an identification card into the body of the letter. This website does not collect, transmit, store, or pre-fill any personal or credit information.
Before you send: a last read-through
Ten lines. If you can tick all ten, the package is ready to leave the house.
I reviewed a current credit report or collection notice.
I identified the exact information at issue.
I explained why it is wrong, or why I am requesting information.
I included supporting documents.
I kept the originals.
I masked unnecessary sensitive information.
I verified the current mailing address.
I saved a complete copy of the package.
I selected a trackable mailing method.
I recorded the delivery date and the response deadline.
I filed at IdentityTheft.gov and have the Identity Theft Report to enclose.
Every item I listed genuinely resulted from the identity theft.
Send a separate letter to each bureau showing fraudulent information
Send copies of every document — never originals, and never your only copy of the FTC report
Certified mail with a return receipt is strongly worth it here; the four-business-day clock runs from receipt
Photocopy or scan the entire package for each bureau before mailing
Consider a fraud alert or a credit freeze at the same time — both are free
Log the date sent, the tracking number, and the date confirmation arrives, per bureau
Re-pull all three reports after a few weeks and confirm every listed item is gone
Keep a tracking log
One row per letter: recipient, date sent, method, tracking or confirmation number, what you enclosed, the date a response is due, the date a response arrived, and the outcome. A single page in a notebook is enough. When something goes wrong months later — a corrected item reappears, or nobody responds — that log is the difference between a documented case and a memory.
What may happen next
The block should happen quickly. Once a credit reporting company has appropriate proof of your identity, a copy of your identity theft report, your identification of the specific information, and your statement that the information does not relate to any transaction by you, it must block the reporting of that information — generally within four business days of receiving those items. It must also promptly notify the furnisher of the blocked information.
The furnisher gets involved too. A company notified of a block is on notice that the information may result from identity theft, which affects what it may continue to report and collect. If a collector contacts you about a blocked account anyway, send it a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report in writing.
A block can be declined or rescinded in limited circumstances — for example, if the block was requested based on a material misrepresentation. That is one more reason every statement in your letter must be accurate.
Keep watching. Pull all three reports again a few weeks later and confirm each listed item is gone from each file. Fraud rarely stops at one bureau, and an item blocked at one may still be sitting on another you did not write to.
Timelines here are the general framework, not a promise about your case.
It is the practical starting point. IdentityTheft.gov is the FTC's official reporting site; it generates the FTC Identity Theft Report that a credit reporting company needs in order to block fraudulent information, and it produces a step-by-step recovery plan tailored to what happened to you. Writing to the bureaus without that report usually means your request is handled as an ordinary dispute on the slower clock.
Generally within four business days of receiving appropriate proof of your identity, a copy of your identity theft report, your identification of the specific information, and your statement that the information does not relate to any transaction by you. That is considerably faster than the ordinary 30-day dispute investigation, which is exactly why the documentation matters so much.
It depends. Some creditors and some situations call for one, and filing one is generally a good idea for serious cases — bring printed copies of your FTC report if the department is unfamiliar with the process. Your FTC Identity Theft Report is the document the credit reporting companies work from, so a police report is supporting evidence rather than a universal prerequisite.
Freezes and fraud alerts are free, and they solve a different problem than a block does. A block addresses information already on your report; a freeze restricts access to your file so new accounts are harder to open, and a fraud alert tells creditors to take extra steps to verify identity. Many people do all three during an identity theft recovery.
Then do not file it as identity theft. Uncertainty is a reason to gather information first — pull all three reports, request validation if a collector is involved, and contact the company shown as the creditor. An ordinary dispute is the right tool for something that might be an error. Reserve the identity theft process for what you know to be fraud.
No, and it should never be used to try. The process applies only to information that resulted from identity theft. A block requested on the basis of a material misrepresentation can be rescinded, and a false report filed with a federal agency is a serious matter with consequences well beyond your credit file.
Back to the DIY Credit Repair CenterThe ten-step pathway, the free report review checklist, the other four letter templates, and the rebuilding guides.
Educational information only — not legal, tax, lending, or financial advice, and not a substitute for an attorney. Credit Consultants Group does not guarantee deletions, score changes, approvals, or any particular outcome, and no letter can. Every statement you make must be truthful and specific to your own accounts; do not send a dispute about information you know to be accurate. This website does not collect, transmit, store, or pre-fill any personal or credit information.