FCRA §605B
FCRA §605B requires bureaus to block fraudulent identity-theft accounts within 4 business days of receiving the consumer's affidavit.
FCRA §605B, 15 U.S.C. §1681c-2, is the fast-track removal path for identity-theft accounts. When a consumer files an FTC IdentityTheft.gov affidavit and submits it to a bureau with identification, the bureau must block the disputed information within 4 business days.
This is dramatically faster than a regular FCRA §611 dispute (30 days). But the consumer must establish identity theft via formal affidavit — usually the FTC report, sometimes paired with a police report. Casual "this isn't mine" claims fall under §611, not §605B.
Once an item is blocked under §605B, the bureau must notify the furnisher. The furnisher can challenge the block by producing documentation that the consumer authorized the account; without that documentation, the block stays and the item is typically deleted entirely.
Also called
Related terms
The Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. §1681 — federal law governing how credit reporting works.
The federally-recognized affidavit consumers file at IdentityTheft.gov to invoke FCRA §605B fraud-block protections.
Unauthorized use of personal identifying information to open credit accounts or commit fraud.
An FCRA-mandated flag on a consumer's credit file requiring identity verification before new credit is extended.
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