Hire Consumer Attorney to Handle Identity Theft Issue

Identity theft is one of the biggest problems that anyone can face in today’s era of massive information sharing. The burden of dealing with theft of identity and the willingness to fight back lies with the consumer who is usually the victim.  In most cases of identity theft, the victim can certainly start by taking matters into their own hands.  However, there are many instances that might require the help of a consumer attorney.

Identity theft does not just mean that someone has tried to hack into your existing accounts.Usually, many people are not even aware that they are victims of identity theft until they step out of the normal routine – for instance when trying to buy a house or refinance their home.   There are certain life goals that may prompt a consumer to pull their credit reports only to find out that there are several accounts open in their name.  In worse scenarios, a consumer may come to find out that there is a judgment taken against them, or that a bank account has been frozen because of an old judgment on an account the consumer never knew about.   In fact, identity theft often leads to a wide array of problems that are related to debt collection as well as credit reporting.

Those who have stolen your identity may have opened up credit card accounts in your first name as well as create enormous charges, thereby ruining your good credit rating.  The consequence is that it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible to make any sort of future purchase that might require financing. Insurance agencies also make use of low credit scores in order to justify high rates and you may be denied employment or even fired from job due to incorrect information in your credit history.  Occasionally, consumers discover they are the victims of identity theft when they start to suffer harassment of abusive debt collectors.

What are probable indications of theft of identity?

 If you are a victim of identity theft, there is possibility that you will incur huge credit card debt or suffer other kinds of debt and credit issues. In order to remain alert, it is important that you be aware of possible signs that may indicate theft of your identity. For example, if unidentified credit accounts have been included on your credit report, or if you get mail or any sort of offers from per-approved credit at any other person’s name right at your workplace or even at your home, then there is possibility that you are a victim of identity theft. Other indications include the companies with whom you have not done any sort of business are highlighted on your credit report, listing of alias name or even address that you have not used at all, receiving bills, statements or any other details related to account that you never opened at any point of time and so on.

If you suspect that you are a victim of any sort of theft of identity, you have rights. Almost always, creditors and credit bureaus insist that the victims of identity theft provide a police report.  All too often, victims of identity theft find they are turned away by local police when they try to lodge their complaint.  Simply providing an affidavit, as outlined by the Federal Trade Commission, may not be enough for some creditors.   If you are the victim of identity theft and cannot seem to clear your name, you should consult a consumer attorney who can help you to learn about your rights, prepare your case and help you to fight back in the best possible way. Wish to hire one such experienced attorney? Contact Dana Karni of Karni Law Firm, P.C. She is experienced in handling lawsuits that are associated with identity theft, debt defense, auto fraud cases, lawsuits against abusive debt collectors and other consumer rights issues.

This information is provided for educational purposes only. There is no attorney-client relationship with Karni Law Firm until a contract is signed by the attorney and the client.

Effective Ways to Respond to Letters of Abusive Debt Collectors

The debt collection letters often are sent to the consumers by third party agencies that often purchase old debt from the creditors as well as other debt collection agencies. In some cases, the debt collection agency is usually hired by the creditor with the purpose of recovering delinquent debt. If you also receive such letters from your debt collection agency, it is vital that your debt should first be validated. On your part, it is vital that you should respond to these letters without any kind of delay. Here are a few important steps that you should follow to respond to the letters of your debt collector.

The first step is to write one letter to the particular debt collection agency and ask it for proof that you actually owe the debt. Popular law namely The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or FDCPA specifies that agencies that are responsible for debt collection in Texas should provide the valid proof that the debtor actually owes a debt. In legal terms, this process is called validation.

Once this process is completed, you should immediately send the letter through certified mail as well as ask for return receipt. Getting the valid proof that the particular debt collection agency had received the letter may be beneficial for you if the case ends up in the court. Even if the debt collection agency ignores this type of letter, it is essential that the agency should validate debt legally if it wants to mention it on the credit report as well as pursue collection by all possible means.

You have to wait for at least thirty days within which debt collection agency has to send reply to the letter. If you do not get reply from the agency you should send another letter to the same agency. Make sure that you should have the copies of original statement of the account or one copy of original agreement. Although not all these documents are required to prove validation, they are helpful to show that you have incurred debt and the total amount of debt as quoted is accurate. However simple printout from original creditor fails to prove much under FDCPA. In your second letter you should not forget to include one copy of your first letter along with one copy of return receipt. Some people think you should also explain the rights that you are eligible to get under FDCPA, although it is not necessary and may work against you.  You are entitled to ask your debt collector to cease collection attempts as well as remove inaccurate details of debt from the credit report.

You should wait for at least fifteen or twenty days for the reply of this second letter. If you are unable to get validation within scheduled time period, you can then take your debt collection agency to the court. You can also consult a debt collection attorney and gather more knowledge about filing the suit and so on.

If you are searching for an attorney to handle your abusive debt collector then you must immediately contact Karni Law Firm, P.C and its attorney Dana Karni dedicated to providing multiple legal solutions. This law firm handles lawsuits against abusive debt collection, credit card debt defense, and fair credit reporting as well as other issues related to consumer rights.

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