ID THEFT NEWS: WEEKLY UPDATE

12 million consumers a year become victims of identity theft. The harmful effects of identity theft are life changing and last a lifetime.  Victims may not know their identity has been stolen until they receive calls from debt collectors, get denied credit or employment, or find credit report errors.     

What can consumers do to protect their identities and credit report? The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that provides identity theft victims with rights. For example, identity theft victims have the right to request two (2) free credit reports every 12 months and can place a fraud alert (90 day and extended 7 year) on their credit file.  

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) also gives victims of fraud or identity theft the right to dispute credit report errors.  Victims may have errors on the credit reports, such as incorrect accounts, names, public records, addresses, date of birth or inquiries.  The credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) must conduct a reasonable “reinvestigation” of the information disputed by a consumer.  The credit reporting agencies must block fraudulent information in 4 business days if they receive an identity theft report.

Download your free identity theft affidavit HERE.

 If the credit reporting agencies break the law, then consumers have the right to sue them in federal court for actual and statutory damages, plus attorneys’ fees.  Micah Adkins represents victims of identity theft in federal court all over the country.  Here are some of the identity theftstories we are am following:  

ALABAMA

Mobile, Alabama

Tips on Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
WALA-TV FOX10
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, social security number or credit card number without your permission. Avoid becoming a victim of ID theft by remembering the three D’s – Deter, Detect and Defend.

FLORIDA

New laws urged to cut ‘epidemic’ of ID theft
Sun-Sentinel

The STOP Identity Theft Act would increase imprisonment for convicted ID thieves from five to up to 20 years. It would also concentrate law enforcement efforts where the crime most frequently occurs, such as Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

ID Theft Bill Passes House, Awaits Senators
WCTV

Possessing other people’s IDs and credit card information in Florida isn’t necessarily a crime. Police have to prove the person with the info plans to commit fraud. In less than three minutes, the Florida House passed a bill to protect people from

South Florida Reps File Bills To Crackdown On Identity Theft
CBS Local

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It’s no secret that South Florida is a hot bed for identity theft, but many people don’t realize that the state also leads the nation when it comes to federal tax return identity theft. So on Tax Day, April 15th, several …

GEORGIA

Columbus, GA

Identity theft victim arrested for crime she didn’t commit
WTVM

Since this ordeal Carter says that friend has been arrested by police and the identity theft victim is still working to clear her arrest record. Columbus Police Sergeant Karen Gaskins told News Leader 9 that identity theft can be a major hassle for …

MISSISSIPPI

Gulfport, MS

Seven tips for avoiding ID theft during tax season
SunHerald.com

If you think you may be at risk for identity theft because of a stolen wallet or questionable credit activity, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized unit at 800-908-4490. A taxpayer guide to ID theft is on the IRS website, IRS.gov….. 

NORTH CAROLINA

Shred to stop ID theft
WCNC

Guard against ID theft by freezing your credit reports online for free. Seniors and victims of identity theft can also freeze their credit by telephone or mail for free. Placing security freezes on your credit prevents identity thieves from opening new …

OKLAHOMA

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Monday: Take steps to avoid identity theft
Tulsa World

The Tulsa Police Department’s financial crimes unit, a seven-person team, is actively working about a dozen identity theft cases and investigating between five and 10 large mail theft rings that have targeted 25 or more victims, Maurer said in an …

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga, TN

Consumer Watch: Protecting deceased from identity theft
Chattanooga Times Free Press
I’ve just heard a horror story from a colleague about his deceased brother’s identity being stolen. My mother is at death’s door, and I want to do whatever necessary to protect her in life and in death. Any suggestions? — Samuel Son. Dear Mr. Son …

TEXAS

Amarillo, TX

Calif. man indicted on false ID charges
Amarillo.com

Auston Chad Cohen, 29, of Lancaster, Calif., was charged with fraudulent use of an access device to obtain more than $1,000, false representation of a Social Security card, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of identity theft …

Houston, TX

BBB on Homes: Help protect identity for free at community shred event April 27
Houston Chronicle

The Federal Trade Commission estimates up to 9 million Americans are victims of identity theft each year. To help address these concerns, the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston, Tristar Document Shredding and Copy Doctor are sponsoring a …

NATIONAL NEWS

Hotels too often leave people vulnerable to identity theft
HeraldNet

Identity theft expert John Sileo said that there’s another reason hotel guests are vulnerable to having their personal information stolen: They’re easily distracted. “We just don’t pay attention to the details when we’re running through airports and …

Tax ID-Theft
Wall Street Journal (blog)

More than one-quarter of taxpayers wait to file until the week before April 15, and taxpayer identity theft often surfaces when Internal Revenue Service computers reject a real return because someone else has filed using a false ID. The Wall Street …

Are you an identity theft victim? Do you have credit report errors? Have the credit bureaus “verified” fraudulent information and refused to delete the items from your credit reports?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), consumers have the right to dispute credit report errors. The credit reporting agencies must block information from appearing in your credit report that is the result of identity theft. The credit bureaus must block the information within 4 business days of receipt of an identity theft report. Federal law gives you the right to sue the credit bureaus if they fail to perform a reasonable investigation or refuse to investigate your credit report disputes. 

Contact us for a free case review 24/7 at 1-800-263-9091 and ask for a free sample credit report dispute letter.

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