Identity Theft Legal Help Cardoza Law CorporationIf someone has stolen your identity and taken out a loan or opened a credit card in your name, you have work to do. There’s no way around the fact that identity theft is a major pain, but if you don’t take the necessary steps to undo as much of the damage as you can right now, the pain could get even bigger. The first thing you should do to protect yourself from the problems the thief is going to cause in your name is to tell the authorities what has happened.

Report Identity Theft To The FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) acts as a kind of clearinghouse for identity theft reports. When you go to their website at www.identitytheft.gov, you will be guided through a series of questions to report the theft. Once you have given them all the information you can, a report will be generated that can be offered as proof to any lender or business that disputes your claim of identity theft. You will also need the report when you file a police report.

Filing An Identity Theft Report With Local Law Enforcement

Most identity thieves steal the information they need “virtually,” meaning they get your bank account numbers or Social Security number through online sources, not out of your wallet. So why would you report the theft to the local police? After all, the thief is most likely not your neighbor—or even a resident of California or the U.S. The reason you file a police report is to create an official record of the theft even if you don’t expect the thief to be caught. At the local police station, you should be prepared to show them the following:

  • A copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report (See? I said you would need it!)
  • A government-issued photo ID
  • Proof of your address (a mortgage statement or utility bill)
  • Any proof you may have that a theft occurred (credit card statement, collection notices, etc.)

Your goal in reporting this to the police is not to get them to catch the thief, but to get a copy of the police report. Ask them to attach your FTC complaint to your report. You may have to be firm and insistent with the officer—but also calm and patient—because they may see it as a waste of their time.

Identity Theft Is Not a Waste of My Time!

If you’re getting nowhere with the FTC or the police, check out my identity theft toolkit to walk you through the steps to recovery. If you are being harassed by a lender or collection agency over debt that is not yours, you may be able to take legal action to stop them. If that’s the case, don’t wait any longer to call me. I will look into your situation and help if I can. The best part is, I will do all of this FOR FREE! If you are owed damages for harassment, I will file suit and take my payment only when I win on your behalf. Now is not the time to bury your head in the sand and hope this goes away. Take action today!

Has Your Credit Been Hurt By Identity Theft?

If your credit has been damaged due to identity theft you need to speak with an experienced credit identity theft attorney as soon as possible. Contact me online today and let's take the needed steps to help get your credit back on track.

 

Michael F. Cardoza, Esq.
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U.S. Marine & Consumer Financial Protection Attorney helping victims of ID theft and Credit Reporting errors.