There are official, free services in each country whose entire job is helping identity-theft victims. They issue the report numbers banks ask for and walk you through the calls.
Where to start by country
- 🇺🇸 USA — IdentityTheft.gov (creates a personalised plan + FTC Identity Theft Report)
- 🇦🇺 Australia — IDCARE on 1800 595 160 (free, government-funded case management)
- 🇬🇧 UK — Action Fraud + Cifas Protective Registration (~£25, blocks new credit applications)
- 🇨🇦 Canada — Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre + Equifax/TransUnion fraud alerts
Freezing your credit
A credit freeze stops new accounts being opened in your name. It's free in the US, UK and Australia, and you can lift it temporarily when you actually need credit.
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Written by
Jordan DicksonFounder, CyberSecurityGuides
Founder of CyberSecurityGuides, writing practical, jargon-free guides that help everyday people recover from and protect against online attacks.
Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers