Identity Theft on Your Report: The 605B Block
When accounts on your report come from identity theft, the ordinary dispute process is the slow path. FCRA Section 605B gives theft victims a faster, stronger remedy — if you follow its specific steps.
Why fraud items get a special path
A normal dispute asks the bureau to reinvestigate with the furnisher — the same furnisher whose records contain the fraud. Section 605B instead requires bureaus to block information resulting from identity theft within four business days of receiving a proper request, without waiting on the furnisher’s verification cycle.
Step one: the FTC identity theft report
File at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC identity theft report you generate there is the backbone of the block request — it carries legal weight a simple written statement doesn’t, and it triggers related protections. A police report can supplement it but generally isn’t required for the bureau block.
Step two: the block request
Send each bureau: proof of identity, a copy of your FTC identity theft report, identification of each fraudulent item on your report, and a statement that the information does not relate to any transaction you made. The bureau must block the items within four business days and notify the furnishers, who must then stop reporting the blocked information.
Fraud alerts and freezes are the companion tools
An initial fraud alert (free, one year, renewable) requires lenders to take reasonable steps to verify identity before extending credit; an extended alert (seven years) is available with an identity theft report. A security freeze stops new-account fraud at the source by blocking report access entirely. Block what happened; freeze against what’s next.
If the bureau declines or unblocks
Bureaus can decline or rescind a block if they reasonably determine the request was in error or made in bad faith — they must tell you, and you can respond with more documentation or escalate through a CFPB complaint. Keep every confirmation, letter, and report; identity theft cleanup is won on paperwork discipline.
Frequently asked
ScorePros AI puts this knowledge to work
A rules engine to find issues. AI to explain them. Tools to act. Tracking to measure progress.