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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11If someone used your Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) to file a tax return, freeze your credit with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately. Each freeze is free, remains in place until you lift it, and does not change your credit score. A freeze helps stop new-credit applications from being approved using your credit file; it does not correct a fraudulent tax return or release a tax refund.
At the same time, report the suspected tax identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov, follow the IRS instructions in your notice, review all three credit reports, and consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN for future federal filings.
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What to do first
Use this order when an e-filed return is rejected, the IRS sends an identity-theft notice, or you discover that income was reported under your SSN or ITIN by an employer you do not recognize. A rejected return alone is not proof of identity theft: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says missing or incorrect information can also cause a rejection.
- Read the IRS rejection or notice carefully. Record the notice number, tax year, filing method, response deadline and the specific reason given. The FTC identifies a duplicate return filed in your name or unfamiliar employer income as stronger indicators of tax identity theft than a generic rejection.
- Freeze your credit at all three nationwide bureaus. Use each bureau’s official freeze channel, complete its identity checks, and save every confirmation number, PIN or password. The FTC explains the process at Get a credit freeze to stop identity thieves.
- Create an identity-theft report and recovery plan. Submit the details at IdentityTheft.gov. The service can generate an FTC Identity Theft Report, an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit and a personalized recovery plan.
- Complete the IRS step specified in your correspondence. Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, can be submitted through IdentityTheft.gov or obtained and mailed. Use the delivery method and address in your IRS notice or in the personalized recovery plan rather than guessing where to send it.
- Inspect your credit reports. A freeze does not review reports for you. Look for unfamiliar accounts, hard inquiries, addresses, collection accounts or employer entries, then follow the recovery plan for anything suspicious.
- Add an alert or tax filing safeguard if appropriate. A fraud alert asks lenders to verify your identity; an IRS Identity Protection PIN helps stop another federal return from being filed with your SSN or ITIN. These tools perform different jobs and can be used with a freeze.
How a credit freeze protects you
What the freeze blocks
While a freeze is active, a prospective creditor generally cannot access your credit file to open a new account in your name. That makes a stolen SSN less useful for taking out new credit. The freeze is attached to your file, not to a single lender or card application, so it applies broadly to new-credit checks made during the freeze.
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What it costs and how long it lasts
The FTC says freezes are free and do not affect your credit score. A freeze lasts until you lift it; it does not expire on a schedule. You must contact each bureau separately because freezing one file does not automatically freeze the other two.
What it does not fix
A freeze does not investigate the fraudulent tax return, correct IRS records, issue a refund, remove an account that already exists, or monitor your reports for changes. Those tasks require the IRS response process, report review and—when necessary—separate disputes with the company reporting an account.
How to place the three freezes
Use only the official freeze pages or telephone channels for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The FTC’s consumer guidance explains why all three contacts are required: lenders may use different bureaus, and a freeze at one does not protect files held by the others.
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- Complete the requested identity verification. Keep the confirmation page, confirmation email, account credentials and any temporary PIN in a secure location.
- Repeat the process with the second and third bureaus. Do not assume that one bureau will notify the others for a freeze; that automatic notification applies to certain fraud alerts, not to placing freezes.
- Store the three confirmations with your IRS notice and FTC report. You will need the credentials if a lender later requires a temporary lift or if you want to remove the freeze permanently.
When you apply for new credit
Ask the lender which bureau it will use before submitting an application. Lift the freeze only at that bureau, choose a temporary period that covers the application, and then confirm that the freeze is active again afterward. If the lender checks more than one bureau, you may need to lift each one it names. A lift is different from permanent removal: a temporary lift ends automatically at the time you selected, while removal leaves the file unfrozen until you request another freeze.
Freeze, fraud alert and IRS IP PIN: different protections
The following options are free, but they address different risks and have different enrollment rules.
| Protection | What it does | How many bureaus you contact | Duration | Eligibility or enrollment condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit freeze | Restricts access to your credit file for opening new credit while the freeze is active. | All three: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. | Until you lift it. | Available to consumers; no identity-theft report is required. |
| Initial fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before granting new credit; it does not block access to your report. | One bureau; that bureau must notify the other two. | One year. | Available without an FTC or police report. |
| Extended fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before granting new credit. | One bureau; that bureau must notify the other two. | Seven years, with renewal possible when documentation is provided. | For people who experienced identity theft and have an FTC Identity Theft Report or police report. |
| IRS Identity Protection PIN | Helps prevent another person from filing a federal tax return using your SSN or ITIN. | No credit bureau contact. | A new six-digit PIN is generated each year. | Anyone with an SSN or ITIN who can verify identity can enroll according to IRS requirements. |
The FTC’s detailed comparison of freezes and alerts is at Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts. You can use a freeze and an alert together: the freeze limits file access, while the alert tells a business to take an extra identity-verification step if it is permitted to access the file.
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Report the tax identity theft to the FTC and IRS
Use IdentityTheft.gov
Enter the facts at IdentityTheft.gov, including the tax year, the rejection or notice language, unfamiliar employer information, and any accounts or inquiries you found. The service can produce three useful items in one workflow:
- An FTC Identity Theft Report documenting the incident.
- An IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, generally Form 14039, for the tax-related portion.
- A personalized recovery plan listing follow-up actions.
Download or print the report, affidavit and plan. Keep the originals in a secure folder and a separate backup. Do not email your SSN, complete tax return or identity documents to an unverified address merely because someone claims to be helping.
Follow the IRS notice, not a generic mailing guess
If the IRS sent a letter, use its instructions and response deadline. Depending on the case, you may submit Form 14039 through IdentityTheft.gov or mail it as directed. Include only the documents requested. If you have a state income-tax return or refund problem, contact that state tax agency separately; state procedures and forms can differ from the federal process described here.
Keep a case log
Record the date, agency, telephone number or website used, representative’s name if available, confirmation number, documents sent and the next promised action. Save copies of every letter, envelope, submitted form and upload receipt. This log prevents missed deadlines and lets you show exactly what has already been reported.
Review your credit reports after the freeze
Obtain and read the reports from all three bureaus. A freeze prevents certain new-credit access; it does not reveal whether an account was opened before the freeze or whether a creditor reported an unfamiliar item. Review these areas:
- Accounts: credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, mortgages and collections you do not recognize.
- Hard inquiries: applications you did not authorize.
- Personal information: unfamiliar addresses, phone numbers or employers.
- Payment history: late payments on accounts that are not yours.
For each item, note the company name, account number (masking most digits in your records), date opened, balance and bureau reporting it. Follow the FTC recovery plan for disputes and creditor contacts. A report review is complementary to a freeze; neither replaces the other.
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Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN
The IRS describes an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) as “a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).” Apply through the IRS enrollment process at Get an identity protection PIN if you can complete its identity verification.
The IRS generates a new PIN each year. Keep the current number private and give it only to your tax preparer when you are ready to file. Do not put it in an email subject line, leave it in a shared household document or post it online. The IP PIN protects future federal filing authentication; it does not freeze your credit, erase an existing fraudulent return or resolve a state tax filing.
Common situations and the right response
Your e-file was rejected, but the notice gives no identity-theft details
Read the rejection code and correct ordinary missing or incorrect information first if the IRS or tax software directs you to do so. If the message says a return was already filed under your SSN or identifies income you do not recognize, treat it as a potential identity-theft event: freeze all three files and start the IdentityTheft.gov workflow.
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Ask which bureau or bureaus it attempted to access. Temporarily lift the freeze only with the named bureau or bureaus, apply, and restore the freeze after the lender confirms its pull is complete. A lender cannot access a frozen file until you authorize a lift, so a legitimate application may otherwise stop at the credit-check stage.
You find an unfamiliar credit account
Keep the freeze in place, document the account and contact the creditor using contact information from its official statement or website. Follow the dispute and recovery steps in your FTC plan. Do not pay or acknowledge a debt you do not recognize simply to make collection calls stop.
You already placed a fraud alert
An alert is not a substitute for a freeze. An initial alert lasts one year and an extended alert lasts seven years when you have the required FTC or police report. You can retain an alert while also freezing all three files if you want both the verification request and the access restriction.
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Prepare your records and avoid follow-up scams
Organize the material you will need before contacting each agency: the IRS letter or electronic rejection, the tax year, the exact wording of the message, unfamiliar employer details, bureau confirmations and the FTC report. Keep a separate list of every date and deadline. This makes it easier to answer identity-verification questions consistently and prevents you from resending incomplete forms.
Use bookmarks or addresses you typed yourself for bureau, FTC and IRS websites. A caller who demands an immediate payment to “unlock” your credit or release a tax refund is not part of the free freeze process. The official workflow does not require buying a monitoring product. Never send your full SSN, complete return or identity documents to an unverified email address, and keep copies of anything you submit through an official portal or by mail.
Understand the limits of each protection
A freeze is the strongest of these credit-file controls because it restricts access for new-credit decisions, but it cannot stop every misuse of an SSN. It will not correct an IRS account, prevent a fraudulent state return, or remove information already reported. The IP PIN is aimed at future federal return filing, not lending. A fraud alert is a verification request rather than a block, so a business may still access the report and decide to extend credit after checking your identity.
For that reason, use the tools as a sequence rather than choosing only one. Freeze all three files immediately, report the tax event through IdentityTheft.gov, comply with the IRS notice, inspect reports for earlier misuse, and enroll in the IP PIN program for future federal filings if eligible. Leave the freeze active until you actually need credit; then lift only the bureau or bureaus named by the lender and restore the freeze when the application is complete.
After the immediate response: a maintenance checklist
- Keep all three freeze credentials and confirmations in a password manager or secure paper file.
- Check your credit reports periodically for new inquiries, accounts and personal-information changes.
- Watch for IRS letters, tax transcripts or employer-income entries you did not request or recognize.
- Complete every deadline in the IRS notice and personalized recovery plan.
- Renew or update an extended fraud alert when its documentation or duration requires it.
- Retrieve your new IRS IP PIN each tax year and store it privately.
- Before applying for credit, ask the lender which bureau it uses, arrange a temporary lift, and confirm the freeze is restored.
The federal process described here applies to U.S. consumer credit files and federal tax identity theft. State tax agencies may use different forms, deadlines and verification procedures, so follow any state notice for a state return or refund.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a credit freeze stop a fraudulent tax return or release my refund?
No. A freeze restricts access to your credit file for new-credit applications. It does not correct IRS records, investigate a fraudulent return or issue a refund. Report the tax problem through IdentityTheft.gov and follow the IRS notice separately.
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Do I have to freeze all three credit bureaus?
Yes. Contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately. A freeze at one bureau does not protect the files held by the other two, and lenders may use different bureaus.
How much does a credit freeze cost, and will it lower my score?
The FTC says freezes are free and do not affect your credit score. They remain active until you lift them.
How do I apply for credit while my files are frozen?
Ask the lender which bureau or bureaus it will check. Temporarily lift the freeze at the named bureau for the period needed, then confirm that it is active again after the application.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIs a fraud alert the same as a credit freeze?
No. An alert asks businesses to verify your identity but does not block access to your report. An initial alert lasts one year; an extended alert lasts seven years and requires an FTC Identity Theft Report or police report. You can use an alert with a freeze.
What is an IRS Identity Protection PIN?
It is a private, six-digit number that helps prevent someone else from filing a federal return with your SSN or ITIN. The IRS generates a new PIN every year. It does not freeze credit or fix an existing fraudulent return.
What should I do if my tax return was rejected but I am not sure it was identity theft?
Read the rejection code first. Missing or incorrect information can cause rejection. A duplicate return in your name or income from an unfamiliar employer is a stronger warning sign; in that case, freeze all three files and use IdentityTheft.gov.
Can I use the same federal steps for a state tax identity-theft problem?
Not necessarily. State tax agencies may use different forms, deadlines and verification procedures. Follow the instructions in the state notice and contact that agency separately.
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The Bottom Line
Freeze Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately and for free. Save the confirmations, then report the tax identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov, complete the IRS instructions, review all three credit reports and consider an annual IRS Identity Protection PIN. A freeze protects against new-credit access; it does not resolve the fraudulent tax filing, so keep both the credit and tax responses moving.
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