Protecting Your Identity After Financial Fraud
Scammers who took money may also have your ID, passwords or personal details. How to change credentials, watch for new accounts and loans, and use protective services.
Financial fraud is not always a one-off. The scammer may have your ID photos, passwords, date of birth, address or bank details, and may use them again or sell them. Protecting your identity afterwards is part of recovery.
What they may have
- ID or passport photos and selfies. See ID copies shared.
- Passwords or codes you typed on fake pages. See entered a password on a phishing page.
- Bank or card details.
- Personal details from chats: address, employer, family names.
Steps to take
- Change passwords and PINs, starting with email and banking. See which passwords to change first.
- Turn on two-step verification. See two-step verification.
- Replace compromised cards.
- Use protections where available: credit freezes, fraud alerts or protective registration. See credit freezes.
- Watch statements, credit reports and messages for new accounts or loans. See loans taken in your name.
Keep a log of every account you changed and every report you made. See identity fraud log.
Related: long-term identity recovery. For more, see what to do if money is taken.
Frequently asked questions
Why worry about identity after losing money?
Scammers often collect ID photos, dates of birth, addresses and passwords, which can be used for further fraud long after the first loss.
What should I change first?
Email and banking passwords, PINs, and any passwords you shared or reused.
How long should I stay alert?
Several months at least. Identity misuse can appear long after the original scam.
Sources
- IdentityTheft.gov, US Federal Trade Commission
- Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts, US Federal Trade Commission
- Protective Registration, Cifas (UK)
