Most identity theft letters fail for a boring reason: they are written as complaints instead of as the four-part filing the statute actually requires.
FCRA Section 605B names exactly four items. Include all four and the credit bureau has 4 business days to block. Miss one and nothing happens, no matter how well written the rest is.
This template is built around those four items. Use it as a structure, not as something to copy blindly, because the specifics have to be yours.
Before you write anything
You need these in hand:
- All three credit reports, so you can list accounts per bureau
- Your Identity Theft Report from IdentityTheft.gov. See how to fill out the FTC affidavit
- A copy of your photo ID
- Proof of address, a utility bill or bank statement. Both old and new if you moved recently
- An itemized list of every fraudulent account: creditor, account number as shown, date opened, amount, and any hard inquiry tied to it
The template
Replace everything in brackets. Delete nothing structural.
[Your full legal name] [Your current street address] [City, State ZIP] [Date]
Sent by certified mail, return receipt requested Tracking number: [number]
[Bureau name] [Bureau identity theft address, from that bureau’s current website]
Re: Request to block information resulting from identity theft under FCRA Section 605B, 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2
To whom it concerns,
I am a victim of identity theft. I am requesting that you block the information listed below from my credit file under Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
This letter and its enclosures provide all four items Section 605B requires.
1. Proof of my identity. Enclosed is a copy of my [driver’s license / passport] and a copy of a [utility bill / bank statement] showing my address at [address]. [If applicable: I previously resided at [prior address] and have enclosed proof of that address as well.]
2. A copy of my identity theft report. Enclosed is my Identity Theft Report filed with the Federal Trade Commission on [date], report number [number]. [If applicable: I have also enclosed a copy of the police report filed with [department] on [date], case number [number].]
3. Identification of the information resulting from identity theft. The following items in my file resulted from identity theft and are not mine:
| Creditor | Account number as reported | Date opened | Amount reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | [xxxx1234] | [date] | [$amount] |
| [Name] | [xxxx5678] | [date] | [$amount] |
The following inquiries also resulted from this identity theft and I did not authorize them:
- [Company name], [date of inquiry]
4. My statement regarding the information. I did not open these accounts, authorize these inquiries, or receive any goods, services, or money as a result of these transactions. This information does not relate to any transaction by me.
Section 605B requires that you block this information no later than 4 business days after receiving this request. Section 605B also requires that you promptly notify the furnisher of this information that it may be the result of identity theft and that an identity theft report has been filed.
Please send me written confirmation of the block and an updated copy of my credit report showing the information removed.
Sincerely,
[Signature] [Printed name] [Date]
Enclosures: copy of photo ID, proof of address, FTC Identity Theft Report[, police report]
Why each part is there
The subject line naming the statute tells the processor which queue this belongs in. Identity theft blocks and ordinary disputes are handled differently, and a letter that does not say which one it is often gets treated as the slower one.
The numbered four items map directly onto the statute. A processor checking completeness can see all four without hunting.
The table of accounts is the identification requirement. Tables are harder to describe as vague than paragraphs are.
The sworn sentence in item 4 is doing real legal work. It has to say the information does not relate to any transaction by you, and it should also say you received no goods, services, or money, because the statute lets a bureau rescind a block where you did.
The deadline sentence puts the date on the record. You are not asking, you are noting the requirement.
The furnisher notification sentence matters more than it looks. Once notified, the furnisher may not keep reporting the information. That is what stops the account reappearing next cycle.
Sending it
One letter per bureau, listing only the accounts on that bureau’s report. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion hold separate files and each blocks only what is in its own.
Certified mail, return receipt requested. The statutory clock runs from the date of receipt, so the receipt is the most valuable piece of paper in the whole process. A few dollars now saves an argument later.
Use each bureau’s current identity theft address, not the general dispute address. They change. Check each bureau’s site the day you send.
Copies, never originals. You will send this documentation repeatedly.
Keep a complete duplicate of every package exactly as sent.
What to do on day 4
Diary it. When the return receipt shows delivery, count 4 business days.
If the block happens, verify on your actual credit report rather than trusting a letter, and check all three.
If nothing happens:
- Call and ask for status, note the date, time and name
- Resend certified if they claim the package was incomplete, after asking in writing what was missing
- File a CFPB complaint, which requires a response within 15 calendar days
- Speak to an FCRA attorney if the documentation is solid and nothing moves
One line you cannot write falsely
The statement in item 4 is sworn. The FCRA lets a bureau decline or rescind a block where it was based on a material misrepresentation of the facts, or where you obtained goods, services, or money from the transaction.
So this letter is for accounts a thief opened. Adding a real account you cannot pay is a false statement on a federal fraud filing, and it can void the block on the accounts that genuinely were fraud.
If the debt is yours, how to fix bad credit fast deals with real debt honestly.
The short version
- The letter must contain all four statutory items or the clock never starts
- Name the statute in the subject line so it is routed as a block, not a dispute
- Itemize accounts in a table, per bureau, with account numbers as reported
- Include the sworn sentence: not yours, and no goods, services or money received
- Certified with return receipt. The receipt is what sets the deadline
- Diary day 4 and escalate on schedule
Credit Booster AI reads all three of your reports, identifies which fraudulent accounts sit on which bureau, and drafts a separate complete package for each one.
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Get the AppFrequently Asked Questions
What has to be in a 605B letter for it to work?
Four things, because the statute names four. Appropriate proof of your identity, a copy of an identity theft report, your identification of the specific information you say is fraudulent, and your signed statement that the information does not relate to any transaction by you. Missing one means the 4 business day clock never starts.
Do I send the same letter to all three bureaus?
Send the same structure to each, but list only the accounts that appear on that bureau's report. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion hold separate files and each can only block what is in its own file. Sending Experian a list of accounts that only appear on TransUnion invites a rejection.
Should I email or mail a 605B letter?
Mail it, certified with return receipt. The statutory deadline runs from the date of receipt, so you need proof of that date. An online upload gives you a submission timestamp but a weaker paper trail if the bureau later says the package was incomplete.
Do I need to notarize the letter?
Generally no. The FTC affidavit is already signed under penalty of perjury. Some individual creditors ask for notarization as internal policy. If one does, it costs a few dollars and removes their excuse.
What if the bureau says my letter was incomplete?
Ask in writing which of the four required items was missing, fix exactly that, and resend certified. Do not rebuild the entire package from scratch. Keep the rejection letter, because a pattern of vague rejections after a complete filing is useful evidence later.
