Free Identity Theft Dispute Letter Template

What is an identity theft dispute letter?

An identity theft dispute letter tells a credit bureau that specific accounts or entries on your credit report are the result of fraud — accounts a thief opened or used in your name — and asks the bureau to block that information so it stops harming you. Unlike an ordinary dispute, this letter is backed by an official identity theft report, which gives you stronger, faster protections under federal law.

Those protections come from Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2). When you give a bureau an identity theft report, proof of your identity, and a clear list of the fraudulent items, the bureau must block that information — generally within four business days — and tell the companies that furnished it that it may be the product of identity theft.

Do these things first

Before mailing your letter, take these steps so your request has full legal weight:

• File an FTC Identity Theft Report at IdentityTheft.gov. This free federal tool creates the report the FCRA requires and walks you through a recovery plan.
• Consider a police report if you have a known suspect or your local police or a creditor requests one.
• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze. A freeze locks your credit file so no one can open new accounts in your name; contact each bureau to set one up.
• Gather proof of identity — a copy of your government ID and a document showing your current address — to include with the letter.
• Get your credit reports so you can list every fraudulent account accurately.

How to send this letter

1. File your FTC report and note the report number.
2. Fill in the template above, listing each fraudulent account clearly — creditor name, account number, and amount if known.
3. Enclose your FTC Identity Theft Report and proof of identity.
4. Mail it to each affected bureau by certified mail with return receipt requested.
5. Follow up and confirm in writing that the fraudulent information was blocked.

What happens after the bureau receives it

Once the bureau has your identity theft report, proof of identity, and the list of fraudulent items, it must block that information from your file — usually within four business days — and notify the furnishers. Blocked items should stop appearing on your report and should not be reported to lenders. If a bureau declines to block something, it must tell you why, and you can escalate to the CFPB. You should also contact each company where a fraudulent account was opened to close it directly.

Identity theft letter vs. standard credit report dispute

These tools overlap but aren't the same. An identity theft dispute letter uses an FTC report and FCRA § 605B to block fraudulent accounts fast. A standard credit report dispute letter is for ordinary inaccuracies — a wrong balance, a mislabeled late payment, an account that isn't quite right — and triggers a 30-day reinvestigation under § 1681i. If the problem is fraud, the identity theft route gives you stronger protections; if it's a plain error, the standard dispute is the right fit.

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