Credit Reporting Firm
Identity Theft FAQ
Common Cases
You may have a case under the Fair Credit Reporting Act if you notice the following things on your background report:
- Fraudulent identity theft accounts on your credit credit report.
- Someone else’s Information on your credit report.
- Paid accounts still showing a balance due.
- Reporting your accounts in good standing as charged off or in collections.
- Discharged debts still reporting as owed.
- Paid tax lies showing as still owed.
- Derogatory accounts more than 7 years old still on your report.
- Previously deleted accounts that have been reinserted on your report.
- Duplicate reporting of the same account.
If you would like help with one of these problems, call (888) 400-CREDIT | (888) 400-2733 or contact us through this site.
Follow Up and Monitoring
After your case is done, we will help you to regularly check and monitor your background checks with free annual reviews of your background checks and credit reports to insure that you stay free of false conviction information.
Work with a Credit Report Attorney
If you have been the subject of an inaccurate credit report, you may have be able to seek a correction and compensation for any harm. Our firm can help. For more than 25 years, the attorneys of Lyngklip & Associates have represented victims of bogus credit reports credit reports and been a resource for Michigan consumers who need the help of an experienced lawyer.
To learn more or to schedule a free initial consultation with a credit report lawyer, contact our law firm today or call (888) 400-CREDIT | (888) 400-2733 or contact us through this site. In Michigan, you can reach our office at (248) 208-8864.
- What Is Identity Theft?
- What Are the Warning Signs of Identity Theft?
- What Should I Do to Prevent Identity Theft?
- Should I Try to Find the Person Who Stole My Identity?
- What Should I Do if My Identity Has Been Stolen?
- What Should I Do if I Get a Call From a Debt Collector on a Fraud Account?
- Should I Check My Credit Reports if I Think My Identity Has Been Stolen?
- Should I File an Identity Theft Affidavit With the FTC or CFPB?
- Should I File a Police Report?
- What Should I Do if the Police Won’t Take My Report?
- How Can I Get Help With My Identity Theft?
- What Additional Resources Are Available?
- How Much Are Your Fees?
What Is Identity Theft?
What Are the Warning Signs of Identity Theft?
There can be many different warning signs that you have been a victim of identity theft. But here is a list of the most common signs:
- Unfamiliar accounts on your credit report.
- Bills or collection letters for accounts that you do not recognize.
- Call for collection of accounts with creditors you don’t known.
- Unfamiliar inquiries into your credit report.
- Credit rejection or approval letters from creditors who you never applied to.
- Major change to your credit score, 10 points or more.
If you have one of these signs and would like help figuring out if you are a victim of identity theft, call now at (888) 400-CREDIT | (888) 400-2733 for a free consultation or contact us now.
What Should I Do to Prevent Identity Theft?
While most identity thefts today occur with the assistance of data stolen from large companies, there are some things you can do to prevent ID theft.
- Don’t keep physical copies of bank and credit card statements.
- Invest in a good shredder for your financial documents or locate your local public shredding facility.
- Use a pass word logging program such as LastPass.
- Password protect your computer.
- Encrypt the data on your computer.
- Check your credit reports annually for false or unrecognized data.
- Go paperless.
- Don’t send your personal information by email.
- Don’t respond to emails from unrecognized sources.
Should I Try to Find the Person Who Stole My Identity?
What Should I Do if My Identity Has Been Stolen?
- Set up a folder or directory on your computer where you can store all your materials related to the identity theft.This should include scans of any documents you receive, electronic notices and statements, and any electronic communications like emails, texts, and voice mails.
- Save any documents or electronic communications that you receive relating to the identity theft. Place these in the folder that you set in the step above.
- Place a fraud a fraud alert and security freeze on each of your credit reports with the national credit bureaus.
- Request copies of each of your credit reports.
- Review charges to your existing credit accounts, and cancel any cards that have been compromised.
- Call a qualified identity theft attorney to help you review your credit report and the identity theft. Most qualified credit reporting and identity theft attorneys will not charge to help you review your reports or prepare letters associated with a credit report. Lyngklip & Associates can help to review identity thefts in Michigan. If need help in another state, use the “Find a Lawyer” link on the ConsumerAdvocates.org web site. If you need help finding an attorney in another state, call us at (888) 400-CREDIT | (888) 400-2733 or contact us now.
What Should I Do if I Get a Call From a Debt Collector on a Fraud Account?
If you are getting calls from debt collectors about accounts that came from identity theft, you should dispute any charges in writing and keep good records of everything you do! After you have completed these steps, you should contact an attorney for help. An attorney can help you find out if there has been any damage to your credit history and whether any other creditors may be pursuing you for fraudulent accounts.
If you continue to see fraudulent accounts on your credit report after settling your identity theft issues, you have not resolved all the issues with your identity theft. Credit bureaus trade and resell the information to each other. False information on your report can appear in other reports and cause you to lose credit opportunities, employment or promotion. Don’t hesitate to call an experienced attorney right away if you find false information on your report. Your issue may have not been fully resolved or your identity may have been stolen again.
Should I Check My Credit Reports if I Think My Identity Has Been Stolen?
Should I File an Identity Theft Affidavit With the FTC or CFPB?
Should I File a Police Report?
What Should I Do if the Police Won’t Take My Report?
Don’t worry. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows identity theft victims to use a police report to support claims of identity theft and block false information on their credit reports. The purpose of completing a police report is to establish that the victim of identity theft has submitted a a report that subjects that person to prosecution if they lie about the identity theft. But, a police report only one of several tools that identity theft victims can use to help clear their name. The other most common tool is an identity theft affidavit.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, an ID Theft Affidavit submitted to the FTC can be used in exactly the same way as a police report. Specifically, if a victim of identity theft submits an FTC affidavit along with a dispute of an account, the credit reporting agency must block the accounts referred to in the affidavit and then send notice to the other credit reporting agencies notifying them of that same action. In the end, we recommend that victims of identity theft use the FTC affidavit instead of trying to file a police report because you can prepare it with the assistance of any attorney and it does not subject the victim to being rejected or improperly “interpreted” by police. You can find the FTC online affidavit here. If you need help completing your identity theft affidavit, feel free contact our law firm today or call (888) 400-CREDIT | (888) 400-2733 or contact us through this site. In Michigan, you can reach our office at (248) 208-8864.
How Can I Get Help With My Identity Theft?
What Additional Resources Are Available?
- Want to see a list of the credit bureaus who keep data on you? Check out our Credit Bureau List.
- If you need help deciding which reports you need, you can read our article on Credit Reports to Order.
- Need help getting your credit report, see our article on How to Get Your Credit Report.
How Much Are Your Fees?
Contact Us
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- (888) 400-CREDIT
- (888) 400-2733
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