How to Deal with Debt Collectors After Identity Theft

Identity theft can be a devastating experience, leading to a cascade of financial and legal problems. One of the most distressing issues is dealing with debt collectors pursuing debts that are not yours. If you have been a victim of identity theft, we can help you at no out of pocket charge.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to handle debt collectors after identity theft and protect your rights.

Understanding Identity Theft and Debt Collection

When your identity is stolen, thieves can open new accounts, take out loans, and rack up charges in your name. These fraudulent activities often lead to debt collectors contacting you for payment on debts you didn’t incur. It’s crucial to act quickly and decisively to resolve these issues.

Immediate Steps to Take when a debt collector is now attempting to collect the fraudulent debt from you.

          Know the Law – There are two major laws involved, both of which are designed to help you through this situation. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) governs debt collectors and the things that they must do and things that they are prohibited from doing.  For example, a debt collector is required to send you a letter explaining that you have a right to dispute the debt that they are attempting to collect from you.  You have a right to demand confirmation of the debt.

Debt collectors may not:

1. Call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time;
2. Call anyone other than you, your attorney or a designated individual to discuss the debt;
3. Cannot call you at times known to be inconvenient to you such as at work, if you inform it that such times are inconvenient;
4. Cannot call you at all if you instruct them, in writing, to stop calling you.
5. Threaten you with a judgment or post collection proceedings if they do not have a judgment.

The second law that you must be familiar with is the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). This statute gives you the right to sue debt collectors, lenders and credit reporting agencies for failing to remove incorrect reporting information on your credit reports, after you have notified the credit reporting agency.  We use this statute to remove fraudulent information from people’s credit reports.  Moreover, both statutes allow us to collect our costs and attorneys’ fees from the defendants we sue.  This is how we provide our services at no out of pocket charge to our clients.

These statutes can be complicated which is why it is not a good idea to handle identity theft issues by yourself. Let us handle the matter for you at no out of pocket charge.

• Document Everything. Keep records of all interactions with debt collectors, including dates, times, and details of the conversations. Save copies of all correspondence.
• Place a Fraud Alerts or credit freeze on your credit reports with the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax). Consider freezing your credit to prevent further fraudulent accounts from being opened.
• Report the Identity to your local police. Your police report is the key to getting the fraudulent information removed from your credit reports.  You will need to attach the police report to each dispute letter you send to each credit reporting agency.
• Notify Creditors and Banks by contacting them about the identity theft. Provide them with copies of your FTC (Federal Trade Commission) identity theft report and police report.
• Send a Written Dispute to the debt collector. Attach a copy of the police report as well. Send it by certified mail, with proof of receipt. Debt collectors will probably not work with you as they are paid a commission on what they collect. If they can defeat your claim and collect from you, they won’t care.

Let us handle your identity theft claim at no out of pocket charge to you.

Stop being a victim of identity theft and let us help you at no out of pocket charge. Call us at Credit Repair Lawyers of America at (404) 591-6680 for a free, no obligation consultation. Talk with an Identity Theft attorney today to learn your rights and get free advice. If you have a good case, we will not charge you anything out of pocket to pursue your claim to get your money back from the bank.  You can also visit us at www.crlam.com  or email us at Gary@crlam.com.

Attorney Gary Nitzkin

(404) 591-6680

Gary@crlam.com