Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s identifying information without authorization. Stolen information may be used to open credit accounts, obtain loans, redirect payments, file tax returns, claim government benefits, receive medical services, take over online accounts, or commit crimes under the victim’s identity.

Military members and families may be especially vulnerable because they move frequently, spend time overseas, use shared or temporary addresses, and provide personal information to numerous agencies and service providers. Deployment can make it harder to notice missing mail, unfamiliar charges, or new accounts. Children and dependent family members can also become victims, and misuse of a child’s information may remain undetected for years.

Warning signs include accounts or credit inquiries that are not recognized, unexplained credit-score changes, bills for unfamiliar services, collection contacts concerning unknown debts, missing mail, rejected tax returns, government-benefit notices, or alerts that account information has changed. A lost wallet or data breach does not necessarily mean identity theft has occurred, but it creates a reason to monitor accounts and consider preventive measures.

If fraud has occurred, contact the affected financial institution or company immediately. Ask its fraud department to close or restrict compromised accounts, stop unauthorized transactions when possible, and explain its documentation requirements. Change passwords, personal identification numbers, recovery questions, and multifactor-authentication settings. Do not use the same replacement password across multiple accounts.

Report identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov to obtain an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan. Review credit reports and dispute fraudulent accounts and information with both the business that supplied the information and the credit-reporting company. Keep copies of reports, letters, account statements, delivery confirmations, and a chronological log of every contact.

A fraud alert tells prospective creditors to take additional steps to verify identity. An initial fraud alert is free and can be requested through any one of the three nationwide credit-reporting companies, which must notify the others. A security freeze more broadly restricts access to a credit file and must generally be placed separately with each reporting company. Freezes and fraud alerts serve different purposes, and neither prevents fraud involving existing accounts.

Active-duty service members may place an active-duty alert on their credit files. Members should also monitor leave and earnings statements, myPay information, tax records, government-benefit accounts, medical records, and military credentials. Suspected compromise of a Common Access Card, government system, security clearance information, or official account should be reported through the appropriate command or security channel.

Some forms of identity theft require specialized steps. Tax identity theft may involve the Internal Revenue Service; benefit fraud may require contact with the issuing agency; medical identity theft may require correction of both billing and treatment records; and criminal identity theft may require police and court records. A police report can be helpful or required in some circumstances, although the FTC report is the primary federal recovery document.

Military legal assistance can help victims understand dispute rights, prepare correspondence, and respond to collectors or creditors. Immediate reporting and careful recordkeeping are often the most important steps in limiting damage and restoring accurate records.