FCRA section 605B: blocking identity theft information

Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, at 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2, lets you ask a bureau to block information on your report that is the result of identity theft.

The main points

• You send the bureau four things: proof of your identity, a copy of an identity theft report, identification of the information, and a statement that it does not relate to any transaction you made.
• The bureau must block the information within four business days of receiving them, and notify the furnisher.
• A furnisher that has been notified must have procedures to prevent re-reporting the information.
• A bureau may decline or lift a block if it reasonably decides the request was made in error or on a material misrepresentation, or if you got goods, services, or money from the transaction. It must tell you.

What it is for

It is for genuine identity theft. It is not a way to remove an account that is yours. A false identity theft report can carry serious penalties.

How it differs from a regular dispute

A dispute under section 611 asks a bureau to investigate. A section 605B request asks it to block, on the strength of a documented identity theft report. See identity theft accounts and the section 605B block.

Related

• Mixed credit file: when the problem is a mix-up, not theft
• Section 611: the regular dispute process

Sources

• Cornell LII: 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 (block of information resulting from identity theft)
• IdentityTheft.gov

Next steps

• Identity theft accounts and the section 605B block

  If an account on your credit report came from identity theft, FCRA section 605B lets you ask each bureau to block it. What to gather and the steps in order.

• Mixed credit file: someone else's accounts on your report

  A mixed credit file combines your information with another person's. How to spot one, what to gather, and how to dispute it with each credit bureau.

• The Fair Credit Reporting Act, section by section

  The five FCRA sections that matter for disputes (605, 605B, 609, 611, 623) in plain English, with the U.S. Code citation and a link to the official text.