A Capital One, Synchrony, Affirm, or store-card account you never opened shows up on Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion—or a bank mailer arrives for a checking account at a branch you never visited. That is new-account identity fraud. Speed matters: freeze credit, dispute the tradelines, and notify the creditor’s fraud desk (not the regular collections number).
Related playbooks: Freeze and unfreeze your credit, Credit freeze after travel, Stolen wallet checklist, Rebuild after identity theft.
First 24–48 hours
- Freeze Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion online (free under federal rules). A freeze blocks most new credit until you thaw. Overview: Credit freezes and fraud alerts.
- Place an initial fraud alert (or extended alert with an IdentityTheft.gov report) so lenders must take extra steps.
- Pull free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and screenshot every unknown account, inquiry, and address.
- Call each unknown creditor’s fraud line from the official site—not a number on a collection letter—and say the account is not yours. Ask them to close it as fraud and stop reporting.
- File at IdentityTheft.gov (FTC) and save the recovery plan PDF; use it with bureaus and creditors.
Reporting path detail: How to report credit report fraud.
Freezes, disputes, and who does what
| Action | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Security freeze | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Stops most new credit apps in your SSN |
| Fraud alert | One bureau shares with others | Extra lender verification |
| Bureau dispute | Each bureau showing the account | Challenges the tradeline/inquiry |
| Creditor fraud claim | Issuer fraud desk (Chase, Amex, Cap One, store card bank) | Closes account as fraud; may block collections |
| FTC IdentityTheft.gov affidavit | FTC | Standardized recovery packet |
Disputing an error on a report you own is related but different from pure fraud cleanup: How to dispute an error on your credit report. Unauthorized hard inquiries often ride with fake apps: Removing a hard inquiry mistake.
Worked example: the fake Best Buy / Synchrony card
Jordan sees a Synchrony “Best Buy” card on Experian with a $2,100 balance and a hard inquiry dated three weeks ago. Jordan never shopped that store that month.
Jordan freezes all three bureaus the same evening, files an IdentityTheft.gov report, and calls Synchrony’s fraud line with the report number. Synchrony marks the account fraud and confirms in writing. Jordan disputes the tradeline and inquiry with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, attaching the FTC PDF. Within roughly 30 days the account and inquiry are removed or marked as disputed. Jordan keeps the freeze on and monitors AnnualCreditReport.com for 90 days for copycat apps.
Bank and brokerage accounts (not just cards)
Fraudulent checking, savings, or brokerage openings can enable ACH drain or check fraud. Contact the bank’s fraud desk (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Ally, Fidelity, Schwab), close or restrict the account, and watch ChexSystems / Early Warning if deposit-account fraud appears. Unauthorized ACH on an account you do own is a separate Reg E path: Unauthorized ACH debit.
What not to do
- Do not pay the fraudulent balance “to make it go away.”
- Do not ignore collection letters—respond in writing that the debt is identity theft and enclose your FTC report.
- Do not thaw all three freezes for convenience shopping until the cleanup window is stable.
- Do not use phone numbers from threatening texts; look up the creditor yourself.
Checklist
- Freeze Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; add a fraud alert.
- Document every unknown account and inquiry from AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Call each issuer’s fraud desk; demand written fraud closure.
- File IdentityTheft.gov and dispute with every bureau that shows the account.
- Monitor mail, bank apps, and reports for 90 days for repeat openings.
- Keep the freeze on when you are not actively applying for credit.
Educational only. Not legal, credit, or fraud-recovery advice. Procedures vary by creditor and bureau; confirm current FTC and CFPB steps.