ID THEFT NEWS: WEEKLY UPDATE
Fair Credit Reporting Act Lawyers Help Identity Theft Victims
Over 12 million people an identity theft victim every year. Identity theft changes lives forever! Victims may not even know their identity has been stolen until they receive phone calls from debt collectors for debts they do not owe. Others may discover they are an identity theft victim when they are denied credit or cannot get a job because of false background check information.
What can you do to protect your identity and credit report? The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides identity theft victims with rights under federal law. For example, identity theft victims have the right to request two (2) free credit reports every 12 months. Also, fraud victims can add a fraud alert (90 day and extended 7 year) to their credit files with Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Consumers also have the right to dispute credit report errors.
Liability is triggered under the FCRA when the credit bureaus receive a dispute from a consumer. The furnisher of the information (i.e., creditor) does not have any civil liability until the credit bureaus notify the furnisher of the dispute. In other words, in order to be able to sue the credit bureaus, debt collectors or creditors, consumers should always send their dispute to Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.
Once the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) receive a consumer dispute, they must conduct a reasonable “re-investigation.” The credit reporting agencies must block fraudulent information in 4 business days if they receive an identity theft report.
Download your free identity theft report HERE.
If the credit reporting agencies break the law, then consumers have the right to sue them in federal court. You may be entitled to actual and statutory damages, plus attorney’s fees. Micah Adkins represents victims of identity theft in federal court all over the country. Our firm includes lawyers licensed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. We maintain offices in Alabama and Georgia. We can meet with you in person or by phone for a free consultation anywhere in the US.
Here are some of the identity theft stories we are following:
ALABAMA
Troy, AL
Troy man charged with Identity theft
Troy Messenger
A Troy man has been arrested on 16 different counts of identity theft. Jonathan Collins, 28, was taken into custody Monday afternoon about 3:30 at his home, …
KENTUCKY
Louisville, KY
Law enforcement seek out new ways to fight identity theft
WAVE
The Federal Trade Commission says identity theft has been the number one consumer crime in the US for 13 years in a row. police …
Jackson, KY
Jackson County Woman Sentenced Over Three Years For Identity …
LEX18 Lexington KY News
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced 45-year old Lisa Ann Salyers for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Judge Caldwell also …
LOUISIANA
Alexandria, Louisiana
Arrests Made in Identity Theft Case | KLAX-TV
KLAX TV, ABC 31
The arrests are the result of a three-month investigation regarding Identity Theft and Exploitation of the Infirmed. The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office was contacted …
MISSISSIPPI
Hattiesburg, MS
Seven Indicted In FederaI Identity Theft Case
WJTV
Seven Mississippians are facing federal jail time for identity theft and filing dozens of fraudulent tax returns. U.S. attorney Greg Davis announced indictments in …
TENNESSEE
Memphis, TN
Ask Andy: ID theft risks of job applications
WMC-TV
Ask Andy: ID theft risks of job applications. Posted: … It gets harder when you fill out a job application, and everything you write on it makes an identity thief drool.
TEXAS
Dallas, TX
IRS races to stop identity thieves who now file sham tax refunds
WFAA
But identity theft refund crooks are multiplying like mosquitoes in still water. In the first four months of this year, there were almost as many identity theft refund …
Longview, TX
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office to use new ID theft program
KYTX
Every year there are billions of dollars in losses directly related to Identity Theft. There are also over 1 billion dollars in annual losses by businesses due to Retail …
McAllen, TX
Former Texas health care worker gets prison for fraud, identity theft …
Staff
A former employee of a now-defunct South Texas medical equipment company has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for fraud and …
NATIONAL NEWS
Obamacare Data Security Lag Raises Identity Theft Questions
Newsmax.com
The federal government is months behind in testing data security for the main pillar of Obamacare: allowing Americans to buy health insurance on state …
Feds Indict 5 in Largest Hacking, Data Theft Ring in US History
ABC News
The Identity Theft Flu: 5 Ways to Keep Yourself Healthy. Read more here. The defendants, who are said to have been operating out of New Jersey’s Mercer and …
Do these stories sound familiar to you? Are you an identity theft victim? Do you have credit report errors? Have you disputed the credit report errors to Equifax, Experian or Trans Union? Have the credit bureaus “verified” information on your credit report that does not belong to you and refused to delete the information?
Contact us 24/7 for a free case review at 1-800-263-9091.
The call is free, and so is the consultation.
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