Identity Theft Recovery

Fight Identity Theft with Identity Theft Lawyers.

For anyone newly targeted by identity theft or already deep into dealing with the fallout, you know that identity theft isn’t just a crime- it’s the match that ignites complete financial and credit chaos.

Whether identity theft results from personal and financial information leaked in a data breach or intentional targeting by a known or unknown person, identity theft recovery can be complex.

Recovery can involve the credit bureaus, financial companies, law enforcement, administrative and regulatory agencies, the Social Security Administration, insurance and benefit accounts, debt collectors, multiple federal laws, state laws, and more.

At Consumer Justice Law Firm, our identity theft lawyers help make identity theft recovery easy. You don’t have to wait for peace of mind. You can be confident you’re in the right hands from the start.

A distressed looking couple sits on a sofa. The image conveys how relief can be found by working with an identity theft lawyer.

6 Ways Identity Theft Harms You

Identity theft tends to strike in two waves- the initial crime and then the fallout. The first wave is the primary harm caused by the immediate financial and credit fraud. The second wave is the series of continuous, slow-rolling hits that just keep coming as a result.

The six most common harms identity theft victims experience is:

  • Money directly stolen. Fraudsters access your bank accounts, including savings, checking, money market, retirement, and others, to transfer or deplete funds.
  • Debts in your name. Thieves access current lines of credit, such as credit cards, personal loans, home equity loans, and more, or open new ones in your name, including credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, mortgages, and more.
  • Benefits stolen. If you receive social security, Medicaid, or other benefits, thieves can access, drain, or redirect them, or open benefit accounts in your name.
  • Credit reports riddled with bad data. Unauthorized credit checks, fraudulent transactions, and unapproved loans get reported on your credit profile as if they’re legitimate. Your credit score reflects these inaccuracies by dropping significantly.
  • Reputational damage. Financial and credit report damage rarely stays between you and the agency reporting it. In fact, credit reports exist to be used by decision-makers. Anyone reviewing your credit report while it’s full of data generated by fraud will assume the worst about your financial health and deny you opportunities unfairly.
  • Mental and emotional distress. Missing out on long-awaited opportunities, losing sleep due to worry, and being plagued by anxiety are disastrous for your mental and emotional wellbeing. The toll identity theft takes on people is real.

What is Identity Theft Recovery?

Identity theft recovery is a type of consumer protection law in which identity theft lawyers help identity theft victims get their lives back using critical federal laws.

Identity theft is a crime and identity thieves can be prosecuted for stealing credit, money, benefits, and more. But identifying and prosecuting identity thieves is incredibly challenging, particularly when crime rings or international criminals are involved. When criminal prosecutions do happen, they typically take years.

This means identity theft victims are left to pick up the pieces by themselves- stranded in a sea of false accounts and bad data. This is the process that identity theft lawyers help with.

What Does an Identity Theft Lawyer Do?

Identity theft lawyers help with the entire recovery process, from the moment you discover you’re a victim until the moment your consumer reports and financial data actually reflect the truth again.

Identity theft lawyers:

  • help identify every piece of false data created in your name and reported as belonging to you
  • enforce your rights under federal law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Electronic Funds Transfer Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, and Fair Debt Collections Practices Act
  • act quickly to move things forward in time to meet the relevant statutes of limitations (time limits for filing legal action)
  • know which credit reporting and data furnishing companies to contact and dispute
  • know how to dispute errors and gather evidence without infringing any of your legal rights
  • hold companies accountable for stalls, delays, and inadequate investigations
  • prevent or stop debt collectors from the relentless pursuit of unpaid debts and accounts that you never authorized or opened
  • hold any credit bureau, data furnisher, or other company accountable for prolonging or worsening the harm done to you
  • file a lawsuit to get you fixes and money

Check out The Consumer Justice Blog for articles about identity theft lawyers and other topics that help consumers protect and enforce their legal rights.

How to Detect Identity Theft

As any top identity theft lawyer can tell you, there are a number of things to look out for that may signal identity theft and fraud, including:

  • Unexpected Credit Denials. If getting turned down for a loan, credit card, mortgage, or other loan or financial opportunity is a surprise, you need to investigate.
  • Inexplicable Credit Drops. Any sudden, unexpected, or sharp drop in your credit score is a red flag.
  • Unauthorized Credit Checks. If you didn’t authorize having your credit pulled, someone else did.
  • Unfamiliar Bills. Receiving information or bills for services and accounts you don’t recognize needs immediate follow up.
  • Unknown Loans. Store cards, credit cards, and other loan products that aren’t yours but show up on your credit profile in your name point to credit fraud.
  • Collections You Don’t Recognize. Notices or phone calls from debt collectors seeking payment on accounts you never opened or services you never arranged for can quickly spiral into a debt harassment nightmare.
  • Unauthorized Bank Withdrawals. Money leaving your bank accounts without your knowledge needs immediate attention.
  • Shocking Loss of Benefits. No longer receiving benefits that you have been receiving or should be receiving can mean someone else is getting them in your name instead.
  • Questionable Account Updates. Receiving unexpected confirmation from banks, lenders, and other accounts that your address, email, password, or other info, has been updated in their system should be taken seriously.

3 Steps To Fight Identity Theft

There are, of course, more than three simple steps needed to clean up and recover from identity theft, but these three are especially crucial in getting the process started.

STEP 1

Talk to an identity theft lawyer: Identity theft recovery can be tricky because some claims are time-barred and have to be dealt with rapidly, while other claims get lost in a system that is supposed to investigate and correct errors but frequently falls short. An identity theft lawyer clearly explains your rights at the outset, and guides you through the dispute and recovery process, fighting to get you fixes and compensation.

STEP 2

Report it to credit bureaus, banks, and others. Carefully review your credit report from each credit bureau and all of your account statements (credit cards, banks, investments, benefits, store accounts, etc.). Note every instance of false or inaccurate data, no matter how small. Report and dispute the bad data or unauthorized activity as soon as possible. Freeze your credit.

STEP 3

File a criminal report: File a report with your local police, your state Attorney General (if applicable), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Filing a report paves the way for criminal prosecution, but it also supports your efforts to clear your credit record of false debts, loans, withdrawals, etc.

You Should Know

At any step of the process, an identity theft lawyer can offer personalized legal guidance and advice. At Consumer Justice Law Firm, our identity theft lawyers give you a clear plan for a complete recovery, no matter when you call.

What Does a Top Identity Theft Lawyer Do?

Not every identity theft case ends in a lawsuit, but many do. A lawsuit usually becomes necessary when credit bureaus, banks, and others fail to do the right thing.

Seemingly simple things, like removing fraudulent charges due to identity theft become prolonged and painful battles.

Here’s how an identity theft lawyer helps:

  1. We know the law. We know the laws that protect you and how to go after these careless banking, credit, and reporting companies using every possible legal option available.
  2. We know the problems. We’ve seen, heard, and handled every type of consumer financial and reporting error and put our full knowledge and resources into everything we do.
  3. We know the tricks. We know the tactics used by these companies to delay doing anything to fix financial or reporting mistakes. They’d rather convince you it’s a lost cause, but we know otherwise.
  4. We know what you need to win.  We help you gather necessary data and evidence, craft and file legally sound disputes, and provide personalized advice on your rights and best practices along the way.
  5. We know how and when to file a lawsuit. If your errors aren’t corrected or the fallout persists, we file a lawsuit to hold companies accountable.
  6. We know how to get you money.  If you’ve been harmed by financial and credit reporting errors and bad data, you may be entitled to compensation, and we know how to maximize it.
Headshot of attorney David Chami, an identity theft lawyer who helps clients recovery from identity theft and fraud.

What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act?

Identity theft has consequences that can spread through your credit profile quickly.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a very important federal law that protects consumers. Identity theft lawyers rely heavily on this law, along with the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA), and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to protect identity theft victims and move toward a complete recovery.

Your Rights Under the FCRA

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to accurate credit reports and other consumer reports. Here’s what it says:

“Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates.”

In addition, it gives you the right to:

  • review your credit reports for free
  • know which data in a credit report was used to deny you an opportunity
  • dispute credit report errors
  • work with an identity theft lawyer to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties
  • seek compensation for harm suffered
  • make the wrongdoers pay for your legal costs and fees

How to Dispute Errors Caused by Identity Theft

  1. Act quickly to dispute fraudulent charges, transactions, and loans. Once you notice something is off, jump into gear getting things locked down and disputed.
  2. Review your credit reports, financial statements, and benefits statements for mistakes and unauthorized activity.
  3. Gather any evidence and documentation you have to support your dispute. This should include the police report and any communications with the FTC or state Attorney General’s office.
  4. Follow the rules for the specific financial company whose data you’re disputing.
  5. Write a thorough and clear letter explaining exactly which information in your credit  report or financial statement is wrong and why.
  6. Mail your letter, along with copies of the supporting documents, via certified mail to the credit reporting and financial companies. This preserves your rights and leaves an easily traceable trail. Avoid using online dispute platforms if they make you waive your legal rights.
  7. Keep a copy of the letters and documents for your file, along with the mail receipts.
  8. Track the days. Credit bureaus and lenders holding credit cards, charge accounts, and lines of credit have 30 days to respond.
  9. Don’t give up. If they don’t respond, don’t investigate, don’t fix the errors, or claim that their investigation confirmed the bad data and fraudulent activity is actually true, you need an identity theft lawyer NOW.

How Much Does an Identity Theft Lawyer Cost?

If you work with Consumer Justice Law Firm, the answer is simple: It costs you nothing out of pocket to work with an identity theft lawyer.

From your FREE consultation all the way through to the resolution of your claim, including filing a lawsuit if necessary, you don’t pay us a dime up front or out of pocket.

Our identity theft lawyers get paid by the companies we sue when we win. Period.

No Justice, No Fee.TM

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I file a police report for identity theft?

Yes. Once you know you’re an identity theft victim, you should immediately shut down any further access to your accounts, benefits, and credit by contacting your financial institutions and the credit bureaus, and file a police report.

The police report is what begins the process of investigating the crimes of identity theft and identity fraud, but it also plays a key role in the recovery process.

Many of the financial and reporting companies will require a police report to confirm that the disputed accounts, loans, and activity are, in fact, fraudulent and unauthorized.

A police report filed close in time to the discovery of the identity theft is also very helpful if you need to work with an identity theft lawyer to file a lawsuit against any financial, credit, or debt collection companies.

What can I do to prevent identity theft?

There is no fool-proof way to prevent identity theft. In fact, as identity theft protection improves, so do identity theft scams. This is increasingly true in the age of AI.

But, you can use these tips to help you stay safe:

  1. Stay on top of your accounts, checking in regularly so you know when something doesn’t make sense.
  2. Never follow a link or click on anything unless you KNOW it’s legitimate. Treat every email, text message, or phone call that you didn’t initiate as if it were a scam and work backwards to verify if it’s legitimate. Look at the specific phone number or email address of the sender. Check for errors or awkward language. Call every company or agency directly to confirm they sent you an email, text, letter, phone call, etc. Be skeptical of any claim of urgency.
  3. If someone calls or texts from an unknown number claiming to be your loved one (and even sounds like them) call or text your loved one directly to confirm it’s them.
  4. Only use public WiFi if it’s safe.
  5. Use an RFID-blocking wallet.
  6. Use strong passwords and password protection software (if you can).

And, keep in mind that if identity theft protection isn’t always possible, the absolutely best resource you have for fighting identity theft and making a complete recovery is an identity theft lawyer.

FREE CONSULTATIONS! We only get paid when we win. No Justice, No Fee.TM