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 and we can meet with you in person or by phone for a free consultation.

Here are some of the identity theftstories we are following:

ARKANSAS

‘THE IDENTITY THEFT OF MITCH MUSTAIN’

Arkansas Times

Back in the early fall of 2006, if you cared about the Razorbacks football team or knew anyone who cared about the Razorbacks football team, the name Mitch 

FLORIDA

Cocoa Beach, FL

Economic Crimes Unit Arrests Identity Theft Suspect

SpaceCoastDaily.com

Oscar Humberto Sanchez Ramos of Cocoa was arrested for three counts of identity theft, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

West Palm Beach, FL

Man victimized for years following ID theft by roommate

WPEC

An identity theft victim is pleading with an alleged ID thief to stop using his information and now he’s turning to CBS 12 News for …

GEORGIA 

Atlanta, GA

Equifax weighs appealing $18.6M award to consumer

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information on their credit report and consumer reporting …

MISSISSIPPI

Gulfport, MS

Texas man sentenced in Gulfport in identity theft case involving …

Mississippi Press Staff

Mikel Chad Adams, 42, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to serve 10 years in prison followed by three years of …

OKLAHOMA 

Tulsa, OK

Action Line: College students face big ID theft risks

Tulsa World

College costs are rising. Average back-to-college spending climbed to more than $900 last year, up $100 from 2011, according to the National Retail Federation 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Columbia, SC

SC’s ID Theft Services To Include $1M Insurance

WLTX.com

The South Carolina Budget And Control Board will take applications to provide the State with Identity Theft Protection Services starting …

TEXAS

Houston, Texas

Resident discovers alleged identity theft eight years later

Your Houston News

The victim told police that she only discovered the alleged identity theft when she recently received a letter from the Harris County Toll Road Authority informing …

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach, VA

Suspects collaborate in identity theft

Fox 43 TV

Virginia Beach Police believe three suspects worked together in an identity theft scheme at several local Sun Trust Banks.

NATIONAL NEWS

How Credit-Report Databases Are Trashing Our Lives

The American Prospect

This week Miller won $18.6 million in damages against Equifax, as the U.S. District Court ruled that the corporation had violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s …

Swift sued over ‘negligent’ background checks

Commercial Carrier Journal

FCRA law says Swift should have notified Ellis within three business days of disqualifying him fro the position that the action had been taken because of …

An $18 Million Lesson in Handling Credit Report Errors

New York Times

She initiated the company’s dispute process about seven times, and in most … on her credit report, none of which belonged to her, along with an inaccurate …

10 Steps to Help Erase Errors on Your Credit Report

Huffington Post

Order the most recent copy of your credit report. If there are any inaccuracies that you come across, this is the perfect opportunity for you to dispute it. Do not …

Do you need an identity theft lawyer? You may if an of these stories sound familiar to you, or if you are an identity theft victim.  You may also need an attorney if 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? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then call us for a free consultation and review of your legal rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

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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