A credit card was opened in my name

This notice

The paper, app alert, or first bill says a credit card was opened in your name. You did not apply.

Recent CFPB complaints describe the same surprise at Citibank, Capital One, Barclays, Synchrony, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. Some people got a “congrats on your new card” alert. Some got a plastic card in the mail. Some only saw the account on a credit report.

The CFPB page What do I do if I am a victim of identity theft? treats that as identity theft. Someone used your information to open credit.

This is not a purchase dispute on a card you already had. That other paper says the investigation is complete. This paper is a new account.

It is also not a collector’s first validation letter about a debt you do not recognize. The issuer, or the bureau line, is the first notice.

The CFPB blog Protect yourself from credit card fraud at the register says a company may not issue you a card without permission. Store cards opened after a cashier took your Social Security number show up in that same pattern.

Official path

1. Call the fraud or security number on the card, the bill, or the issuer’s public site. Say you did not apply. Ask them to close or freeze the account. The CFPB identity-theft page says to close affected accounts and contact the fraud department. The FTC alert How to recover from identity theft says the same first step.

2. Write down the date, the agent’s name, and any claim or reference number. Follow the call with a short letter or secure message so you have a paper trail.

3. Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov. The CFPB page says you will get an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan. Save the PDF. Scammers impersonate the FTC. Type the address yourself. Do not use a link from a call.

4. Order your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. Circle every account and inquiry you did not open. The FTC alert says to review those reports even if you already have a freeze.

5. Place a fraud alert with one nationwide bureau. The CFPB page says that bureau must tell the other two. Place a security freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion one by one if you want to block new credit checks. A freeze at one bureau does not freeze the others.

6. Send the Identity Theft Report, proof of identity, and a letter naming the fake account to each bureau. The CFPB page says bureaus must block identity-theft information within four business days after they receive a complete request. They must also tell the furnisher. After that notice, the CFPB page says the creditor cannot turn that identity-theft debt over to collectors.

7. Submit a complaint at Submit a complaint if the issuer keeps billing you or the bureaus keep the fake account. Attach the Identity Theft Report, the first bill or card photo, and your close-account notes.

People on credit forums often dispute only with a bureau and skip the issuer. The official pages win that conflict. Close the account, then use IdentityTheft.gov.

What people reported

Often helps

• Calling the issuer the same day the card or “new card” alert arrived, then filing IdentityTheft.gov before the first due date.
• Sending the Identity Theft Report to all three bureaus, then checking that the fake tradeline was blocked.

Often fails

• Paying the thief’s balance “so it stays current,” or only mailing a bureau dispute with no Identity Theft Report. CFPB narratives still showed the account open, billed, or sold.

Template

[DATE]

[ISSUER NAME]
Fraud / Unauthorized new account
[ADDRESS ON THE CARD, BILL, OR ISSUER SITE]

Re: Credit card opened without my application, account ending [LAST FOUR]

I am writing about a credit card in my name that I did not apply for. I learned of it on [DATE] from [MAIL / APP ALERT / CREDIT REPORT]. I did not authorize this account or any charges.

On [PHONE DATE] I called [NUMBER] and asked you to close the account. The reference number is [NUMBER].

I reported identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov on [DATE]. My Identity Theft Report is enclosed. Please close the account, reverse unauthorized charges, and stop reporting this account as mine.

Please send written confirmation that the account is closed as fraud and that you have notified the credit bureaus.

Enclosed are copies of [CARD PHOTO / FIRST BILL / IDENTITY THEFT REPORT / CREDIT REPORT PAGE], not originals.

[FULL NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]

Enclosures: [LIST]

Stop here if…

• You were served a lawsuit, summons, or collection complaint about this account. Court dates are not the same as a fraud close-out.
• The charges are on a card you did open. That is a billing-error dispute, not a new account you never applied for.
• A caller claiming to be the FTC or your bank told you to wire money, buy gold, or read a code. Hang up and use IdentityTheft.gov yourself.

FAQ

Does calling the issuer finish the job?

No. The CFPB page says to close the account and then report at IdentityTheft.gov. That site gives you an Identity Theft Report. Send that report to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion if you want the fake account blocked on your credit reports.

Should I pay the balance so it does not go to collections?

Do not treat the thief’s charges as your purchase. The CFPB page is about identity theft, not a billing-error dispute on a card you opened. Pay only if a later official instruction on your IdentityTheft.gov plan says to do so for a specific item.

Is a fraud alert the same as a freeze?

No. The CFPB page says a fraud alert at one nationwide bureau must be shared with the other two. A security freeze is not shared. You must place a freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion one by one.

A caller said they were the FTC and told me to move money. Is that real?

No. The CFPB page says the FTC never threatens you or tells you to transfer money, withdraw cash, or buy gold to protect it. Hang up. Use IdentityTheft.gov yourself.

What if this is a charge on a card I did open?

That is a purchase dispute, not a new account you never applied for. Use the dispute-denied guide if the issuer already closed an investigation on your own card.