ID THEFT NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATE
Fair Credit Reporting Act Lawyers Help Identity Theft Victims
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) lawyers help consumers with credit report errors. FCRA lawyers also help victims of identity theft. Over 12 million people become identity theft victims every year. ID theft victims may discover they are a victim when they receive collection calls for debts they do now owe. Others may discover it when they are denied credit or cannot get a job because of false background check information.
What can you do to protect your credit report? The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides identity theft victims with rights under federal law. ID theft victims may request 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. Consumers should send their dispute to the credit bureaus in writing and by certified mail.
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 theft stories we are following:
ALABAMA
Mobile, AL Mobile County man denies running tax fraud and identity theft ring …
Brendan Kirby | bkirby@al.com
The indictment accuses Lacey of directing the filing of hundreds of bogus tax returns, using the personal information of unwitting residents. The indictment lists …
Montgomery, AL Protect yourself from identity theft
Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base
Identity theft is a term that refers to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves …
FLORIDA
Sunrise, FL Identity theft suspect caught on camera
7Online WSVN-TV
SUNRISE, Fla. (WSVN) — Authorities are looking for a crook who opened up a fraudulent credit card account using a woman’s information. The thief was then …
GEORGIA
3 former south Georgia tax preparers sentenced to prison in fraud …
Daily Journal
The three were each charged with conspiracy and Sheppard was also charged with aggravated identity theft. Sheppard was sentenced last month to more than …
KENTUCKY
Children are fastest-growing sector of identity theft victims
WKYT
Just days after they are born, children receive a social security number, and immediately become vulnerable to identity theft. If that sounds crazy, consider this, …
LOUISIANA
Lafayette, LA BBB alerts Acadiana college students to identity theft
KATC Lafayette News
College students have a lot to juggle when it comes to school, work and their social life; and avoiding identity theft often does not make their list of priorities.
TENNESSEE
Chattanooga, TN Crime Stoppers: Identity Theft In Hamilton And Bradley Counties
The Chattanoogan
Crime Stoppers and the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office are seeking information regarding thefts to include some identity thefts that occurred in Bradley County
Consumer Watch: Keeping yourself safe from ID theft
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Although I’ve written about identity theft, a federal crime, in the past, my editor recently has received a number of inquiries on the subject and asked me to review …
Cordova, TN Cordova Man Charged with Running ID Theft Operation Out of …
Elise Preston
(Cordova,TN) Shelby County SWAT Officers forced their way into a home on Par View and found an operation that could have put families at risk for identity theft.
Memphis, TN Memphis-area man charged with identity theft
WRCB-TV
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that Mareco Bell is being held in jail on $20 million bond on charges of identity theft and identity theft trafficking.
TEXAS
Dallas, TX Back-to-school is high season for child identity theft
Dallas Morning News
Don’t forget to also immunize them against identity theft. … as after-school programs and sports team physicals leave your children prime targets for identity theft.
Houston, TX Alleged ID theft ring ‘mastermind’ arrested at west Houston motel
KHOU
HOUSTON—The alleged “mastermind” behind an identity theft ring was arrested in a west Houston motel Wednesday thanks to a vigilant guest, investigators …
NATIONAL NEWS
10 Steps to Help Erase Errors on Your Credit Report
Huffington Post
There are lawyers experienced in Fair Credit Reporting Act cases. The National Association of Consumer Advocates provides a detailed list of attorneys.
Huge Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Verdict Against Equifax …
The National Law Review
Last week an Oregon jury awarded an individual plaintiff over $18 million in compensatory and punitive damages in what some sources have reported to be the …
Chrysler store faces punitive damages in suit alleging ID theft
Automotive News
The plaintiffs, Ashley Owens and her mother, sued Dixie for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act and state identity theft, negligence, contract and deceptive …
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?
Call 1-800-263-9091 for a free case review.
The call is free, and so is the consultation.
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