In the wake of the Equifax breach, more Minnesota consumers are aware of the constant threat of identity theft. In fact, most people understand that identity thieves can steal bank account information in order to drain your funds. Or, they might use your credit card numbers to rack up bogus charges on your accounts. For the most part, Minnesota residents also understand that, armed with names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers, hackers can open fraudulent credit accounts. From here, they can rack up charges, leave bills unpaid, and do serious damage to your credit reports and credit scores.
Unfortunately, identity theft doesn’t stop there. If they lift the right data from Minnesota consumers, thieves can steal your tax refund or Social Security benefits. They can even use your name and insurance information to get medical services. Because of the many threats imposed by identity theft, consumers in Minnesota should know how to spot suspicious signs.
The Most Common Signs of Identity Theft in Minnesota
If a fraudster uses your personal data to commit any type of identity theft, certain signs can clue you in to the crime. Here are a few of the most common giveaways that your information is compromised.
Important mail items are missing.
If Minnesota consumers find that their bank and credit card statements are no longer coming in the mail, this is potentially a bad sign. It may mean that scammers are intercepting their mail in order to commit identity theft.
You receive mystery medical bills.
If you receive a medical bill for services you did not receive, it’s likely that an identity thief is impersonating you, and possibly stealing your insurance benefits.
Your health insurance rejects your claims.
When insured consumers in Minnesota go to the doctor or hospital and find out later that their insurance claims are denied, this spells trouble. If there is no other explanation, there’s a good chance that fraudsters have stolen both your information and your benefits.
The IRS rejects your tax return.
If you file your tax return, only to get back a notice that it was already filed, an identity thief has likely filed a fraudulent return in your name. Unfortunately, this means that your refund goes to the scammer.
Debt collectors contact you about debt that isn’t yours.
In some cases, Minnesota consumers simply forget about older debt. Then, if a debt collector calls about it, they simply blank on the details. Yet, other times, the explanation isn’t so simple. Sadly, if an identity thief opens bogus accounts in your name, they almost always leave the bills unpaid. This means that, eventually, the unauthorized accounts go to debt collections. Then, the debt collectors start calling.
There are unrecognizable charges on your financial statements.
Experts advise Minnesota consumers to check their financial statements as frequently as possible. This way, you can catch suspicious activity and report it quickly. If, while looking over your statements, you see charges that you’re 100% sure you didn’t make, it is nearly 100% certain that a fraudster stole your payment information.
There are accounts that you didn’t open listed on your credit reports.
Finally, all consumer in Minnesota should check their credit reports at least once every 12 months for signs of identity theft. Luckily, this is how frequently the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) entitles you to free copies of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. If, while going through your credit reports, you see accounts listed that you didn’t open, this is the surest sign that you are an identity theft victim.
When Minnesota consumers spot signs of identity theft, they should file a police report immediately. In order to full recover their credit reports later, you will need a copy of this police report. Next, contact Credit Repair Lawyers of America in Minnesota. We offer FREE credit repair after identity theft, and our talented team of credit pros will get every fraudulent item removed from your credit reports.
Even if creditors and the credit bureaus won’t cooperate, an experienced credit attorney will file lawsuits on your behalf to get the job done. However, no matter what we need to do to get you clean credit reports, you never pay anything out of pocket.
The Free and Legal way to Get Better Credit After Identity Theft in Minnesota
Don’t let fraudulent accounts or transactions on your credit reports bring your credit score down. At Credit Repair Lawyers of America, we’ve been cleaning up credit reports for consumers since 2008 for free. How do we do it? The law allows us to collect our fees and costs from the defendants in any successful action. This is why our clients pay nothing for the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation about what we can do for your credit. Set up your free consultation today by calling Attorney Gary Nitzkin at (612) 235-4458 or sending him a message through our contact page.
For more information about Free Credit Repair After Identity Theft, please visit https://creditrepairlawyersam.com/minnesota/id-theft/.
