Credit glossary
605B identity theft block
Your right under FCRA section 605B (15 U.S.C. 1681c-2) to have a credit bureau block information that resulted from identity theft.
A bureau must block the information within 4 business days after receiving proof of your identity, a copy of an identity theft report, a list of the fraudulent items, and your statement that the information doesn't relate to any transaction you made. The bureau must then notify the furnisher that the information may be the result of identity theft. Blocks can cover fraudulent accounts and related inquiries.
It's stronger than an ordinary dispute because it doesn't wait on the furnisher to verify anything. A bureau can decline or rescind a block it reasonably finds was made in error or based on misrepresentation, or where you got goods or services from the transaction. That's why it's only for real identity theft; a mixed file or a forgotten account calls for a standard dispute.
Guides that go deeper
- The 605B identity theft block: four business days, four documentsUnder FCRA section 605B, a bureau must block identity theft items within 4 business days of getting four things from you. What each one looks like, and the limits.
- Identity theft recovery, step by step, in the order that worksThe FTC's recovery sequence, explained: what to do in the first hour, why the Identity Theft Report comes before disputes, and how to clear each account.
- Fraudulent accounts and inquiries on your report: sort, then actAn account you don't recognize isn't always fraud. How to tell fraud from a mixed file or a renamed lender, and what to do once you're sure it isn't yours.
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2: Block of information resulting from identity theft, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Identity Theft: A Recovery Plan, Federal Trade Commission
This is education, not legal or financial advice. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it.