• Home
• Attorneys
• Our Locations
• Credit Repair Method
• Reading Credit Reports
• Common Questions
• Articles
• Credit Card Defense
• Resources
• Contact Us

Common Questions

The most frequently asked questions regarding your credit.

What are my rights if I am a victim of identity theft?

There are federal as well as state laws in effect to help people who are victims of identity theft. Under the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, a victim of identity theft can request that a “fraud alert” be placed in his file by the credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). This will alert your creditors to alter its procedures in light of the potential for fraud in order to better protect you. However, the fraud alert will likely make it more difficult to obtain new credit.

A credit reporting agency can place a fraud alert on your file for an initial period of 90 days. You are able to extend that alert for seven years if desired. To do this, you must be able to prove your identity to the reporting agency and for the extended fraud alert of seven years; you must file an identity theft report.

By instituting a fraud alert, you a get a copy of information contained in your files at the three credit reporting agencies. If you opt for the seven-year alert, you are then entitled to get the contents of your file twice within a year. Viewing your files allows you to monitor what is in them in order to know what is happening with your accounts. You also have the right to get copies of any fraudulent activities that are in your file.

If the identity thief uses your credit cards or cards obtained by the thief in your name, he will likely not pay the bill. This will likely be reported by the credit reporting agencies as a negative entry on your report. If this happens, you have the right to ask the reporting agency not to report the negative information. You will need to provide the reporting agency with proof of your identity and a copy of the identity theft report. It is crucial that you are able to provide the reporting agencies with proof of the theft and your identity or else they may refuse to block the negative information.

Contact the Credit Repair Attorneys at Garg & Associates today to get started!