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Identity Theft Report
One of the first thoughts that goes through an identity theft victim’s mind is, “What if they don’t believe I’m the victim?” Convincing the bank, credit card company or insurance company, that you are not responsible for the fraudulent activity committed in your name is the biggest obstacle in resolving your situation. To prove that you are not responsible, you must complete an Identity Theft Report.
Identity Theft Report Defined
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), an Identity Theft Report is a police report with additional details that verify you are a victim of identity theft for businesses and credit reporting companies. Traditional police reports do not contain enough detailed information about credit or other misused or fraudulently opened accounts. In addition, the FTC’s Identity Theft Complaint Form can provide the details necessary to supplement the police report. The police, however, are not required to incorporate the information into their report.
Benefits of an ID Theft Report
Once you have filed your Identity Theft Report:
- Credit bureaus permanently block fraudulent information from showing up on your credit report;
- Debts should not reappear at a later date;
- Companies and/or collection agencies will be prevented from trying to collect fraudulent debts and from selling those debts to others; and
- You can place an extended fraud alert on your credit report.
Filing an ID Theft Report does not necessarily mean that the credit reporting companies will accept it, however. It is possible that they will decline your report because it does not have enough detail to establish that you are a victim of ID theft.
How to Send Your Identity Theft Report
An ID Theft Report can only help you if it is received and accepted by the three major credit reporting companies and/or any businesses involved in the identity theft. To make sure this happens, send a copy of the report by certified mail and request a return receipt. To help verify your ID theft, they may ask for further information or additional documentation, but must do so within 15 days of receiving your Identity Theft Report. All parties have another 15 days after that to ensure that the report has all the necessary information, in addition to five days for review.
Resolving Identity Theft
Fixing the damage done by an identity thief can be a long and complicated process, but with a knowledgeable attorney at your side, you will be supported every step of the way. California law protects identity theft victims from harassment, and other abusive or deceptive practices on the part of creditors, debt collectors and other organizations and institutions. If you are an ID theft victim in California and are struggling against persons or entities that unlawfully continue collection attempts for a fraudulent debt or other activity, Los Angeles identity theft lawyer, Howard D. Silver, can help. To learn more, contact Mr. Silver today at (866) 495-3666 for a free consultation.
