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 theft stories we are following:

FLORIDA

Jacksonville, Florida

Douglas insurance agent charged with fraud and identity theft
Florida Times-Union
A Douglas man has been charged with insurance fraud and identity theft in the submitting applications for insurance on Dodge County employees without their knowledge, Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said. Fraud investigators with his …

Teacher preparation data exposed online
Tallahassee Democrat (blog)
Program participants who suspect their Social Security number or other personal information may have been misused or that they may be the victim of identity theft should contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call 1-877-ID-THEFT …

South Florida

James T. Leger facing charges of passport fraud, identity theft
Sun-Sentinel
After a six-month investigation, federal agents arrested him on charges of passport fraud, identity theft and lying to U.S. Citizenship officials. Leger, 37, faces as many as 17 years in prison if he is convicted and a judge imposes maximum sentences.

GEORGIA

Rep. Price Introduces Bill to Forbid Preemption of State Identity Theft Laws
Targeted News Service (subscription)
Tom Price, R-Ga., has introduced legislation (H.R. 2473) to amend the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to “prohibit the preemption of State identity theft laws.” The bill was introduced on June 20 and has eight co-sponsors. Co …

OKLAHOMA 

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Woman sought in identity theft case
Tulsa World
Woman sought in identity theft case. Tulsa police are searching for a woman who reportedly stole a wallet and then wrote several fake checks in the victim’s name. The victim has received thousands of dollars in collection notices since her identity was stolen, police said. Investigators recently released surveillance images of a suspect exiting a local store.

SOUTH CAROLINA 

Columbia, South Carolina

SCDCS provides tips to defend against identity theft
WMBF
COLUMBIA, SC (WMBF) – The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs wants to inform consumers of some free and simple monitoring tools that can be used to protect against identity theft. The SCDCA says monitoring financial and benefits …

TEXAS 

Houston, Texas

Memorial Villages Police Department
Your Houston News
This could easily expose you to becoming a victim of Identity Theft, if an employee swipes your credit card through a scanner and takes down the information from your identification documents. Many hotels have in room safes; it is recommended that you …

McAllen, Texas

Identity theft high in Valley
Valley Morning Star
Last year, area residents reported 402 cases of identity theft to the agency, she said. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area ranked 75th, with 799 complaints filed, the agency said. In Harlingen, residents reported 131 cases of identity theft from Jan. 1 …

NATIONAL NEWS

Ties emerge between medical records theft, meth labs
ModernHealthcare.com

… currently performing on records from the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and HHS’ Office for Civil Rights has revealed “a really weird pattern” of correlation between medical record breaches, medical identity theft and meth …

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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