Identity Theft Debt Collection

Identity theft debt collection is a growing problem that can have devastating consequences for its victims. If your identity is stolen, you could face financial losses, damage to your credit score, and even criminal charges if the thief uses your identity to commit crimes. However, you don’t have to face these challenges alone. Our identity theft legal services can help you recover your stolen identity and protect yourself from future fraud.

We can help protect your identity

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Identity Theft and Mistaken Identity Client Success Stories

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What to do when your identity is stolen

Clearing up your stolen identity is crucial to protecting your financial and personal well-being. When someone steals your identity, they can use your personal information to open fraudulent accounts, make purchases, and even commit crimes in your name. This can leave you with damaged credit, legal issues, and a lot of stress.

Clearing up your stolen identity is an essential step in protecting yourself from the long-term effects of identity theft. If you’ve become a victim of identity theft, it’s important to take action as soon as possible to minimize the damage and start the process of recovery. By taking action to clear up your stolen identity, you can protect yourself from further harm and regain control of your finances and reputation.

Here are some reasons why clearing up your stolen identity is important:

Financial Protection

If someone has used your identity to open fraudulent accounts or make purchases, you could be held responsible for the charges. Clearing up your stolen identity can help you avoid financial losses and protect your credit score.

Legal Protection

If someone has used your identity to commit crimes, you could be held responsible for their actions. Clearing up your stolen identity can help you avoid legal issues and protect your reputation.

Peace of Mind

Identity theft can be a stressful and overwhelming experience. Clearing up your stolen identity can help you regain a sense of control and peace of mind.

Identity Theft Prevention

Once you’ve cleared up your stolen identity, you can take steps to prevent identity theft in the future. This includes monitoring your credit reports, using strong passwords, and being careful with your personal information.

Why Do Debt Collectors Collect Identity Theft Debts?

Debt collectors may not know that a debt is the result of fraud for a variety of reasons. Here are some possible explanations:

1. Lack of Information: Debt collectors may not have all the information necessary to determine whether a debt is the result of fraud. They typically receive information about a debt from the creditor who originally extended the credit. If that creditor or lender did not flag the account as fraudulent the debt collector may not be aware that the debt is the result of fraud.
2. Limited Resources: Debt collectors may not have the resources to conduct a thorough investigation into whether a debt is the result of fraud. They typically rely on information provided by the creditor and may not have the expertise or resources to uncover evidence of fraud.
3. Fraudulent Activity is Not Always Obvious: In some cases, fraudulent activity may not be immediately apparent. It may take time for a victim to discover that their identity has been stolen and used to open fraudulent accounts. By the time the victim discovers the fraud, the debt may have been sold to a debt collector.
4. Debt Collector Priorities: Debt collectors are typically focused on collecting on the debt they have been assigned. They may not be as concerned with determining the cause of the debt. In some cases, they may even be incentivized to collect on a debt, regardless of whether it is the result of fraud.

Overall, while debt collectors must verify the validity of a debt, there are many factors that can make it difficult for them to determine whether a debt is the result of fraud. If you believe that a debt is the result of fraud, it is important to take action to protect your rights and dispute the debt with the appropriate parties.

Act Quickly to Resolve Identity Theft Debt Collection

Victims of identity theft are generally not responsible for the resulting debt. This is only true when you take action quickly. Delaying your efforts to clear up fraud can waive your legal rights and make you responsible to repay the fraudulent charges.

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can dispute any unauthorized charges on your credit card within 60 days of receiving your statement. Report the fraudulent charges within this time frame to avoid responsibility for paying them. If you report the fraud after 60 days, your liability may be limited to $50 or you could be responsible for the entire amount of the fraudulent charges if you wait too long to report the fraud.

If the identity theft resulted in other types of debt, such as loans or accounts opened in your name, you may also be able to dispute these charges as fraudulent. Contact the creditor or lender associated with the debt and provide evidence of the fraud, such as a police report or an identity theft affidavit.

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act you also have protections. Debt collectors are not allowed to collect identity theft or fraudulent debts. You have the burden of properly notifying them of the fraud however. Debt collectors are not required to investigate every debt to verify it is valid.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act also protects identity theft victims from credit reporting of fraudulent accounts. Again, the burden is on you to take the proper steps to exercise your rights or lose them.

Take action as soon as possible. Report identity theft and dispute any fraudulent charges quickly to avoid being held responsible for the debt. You should also protect your personal information, such as monitoring your credit reports regularly and using strong passwords.

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Dispute identity theft debt collection for free!

Don’t pay any accounts or debts that are the result of fraud or identity theft. Call us to dispute these accounts. We stop the threat of lawsuits, wage garnishments, bank account garnishments, asset seizures, and other negative consequences.

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Why Dispute Identity Theft Debt Collection

In general, unlawful debt collection tactics for fraudulent accounts are damaging for the following reasons: 

• You could be forced to pay debt you don’t actually owe
• Causes stress, fear, and worry, which all have tangible effects on your body
• Leads to serious, stress-induced debilitating health conditions, such as migraines, fibromyalgia, sexual dysfunction, or bowel issues
• May worsen existing chronic conditions, making it harder for you to work to earn the money you need
• Causes emotional distress and mental health issues resulting from unlawful debt collection tactics 
• Leads to feelings of embarrassment or humiliation that you are the victim of aggressive debt collection practices
• Causes psychological distress from repeatedly reminding you of the incident that caused your injury
• Increased risk of depression and negative emotions

Get Damages For Fraudulent Collection Attempts

While you might have experienced emotional distress at the hands of a debt collection agency, you can file successful damages cases with our experienced consumer protection attorneys by your side. Lawsuit damages awards in the five-figure and six-figure range are common. 

You could get large settlements for crying, anger outbursts, headaches, migraines, stomach aches, bloating, self-medication, self-harm, insomnia, or other issues that resulted from illegal collection activities. To illustrate the possibilities, we obtained the largest debt collection settlement in Utah history at more than $600,000.00 for these kinds of damages (though, smaller figures are more common).

What are your Legal Rights

Here’s a summary of your legal rights under the law: 

• Debt collection agencies cannot collect debt you don’t owe
• Creditors cannot forward your unpaid bills to debt collection agencies if they know about the fraud
• To protect yourself from lawsuits, calls, text messages, letters, and feeling cornered, hire an experienced consumer protection attorney
• A good consumer protection attorney can help you win damages settlements or awards for unlawful debt collection practices
• Unlawful collections of identity theft debts are complicated and far outside what typical attorneys can handle properly
• We can get you proper compensation for unlawful collections of fraudulent accounts
• We work these cases on a contingency basis so you pay us only when we win or settle your case

Don’t Wait to Get Help

Under Utah law debt collection agencies cannot collect fraudulent accounts once they have proof of the fraud. This requires specific steps to be taken to properly exercise your rights and protections. If a collection agency is calling, texting, sending collection letters, or suing you for an account that resulted from identity theft or other fraud we can help.