Identify Theft Lawyer Virginia
Identify Theft Lawyer Virginia If someone has stolen your identity, you should get in touch with an identity theft lawyer in Virginia. The losses from a stolen identity can be immense and you deserve justice for that. A lawyer can help you discover who stole your identity and pursue compensation for your losses. Definition of Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone intentionally steals another person’s personal data for financial gain. Thieves can get a hold of your private information in many different ways, like data breaches, lost Social Security cards, mail theft, dumpster diving and unsafe Internet connections.Steps to Take If Your Identity Is Stolen
Finding out that your identity has been stolen is indeed shocking. However, it’s important to stay calm and take the following steps to get your life back.- File a police report. As soon as you discover that your identity is stolen, go to the police. Tell them exactly what happened and ask them to file a report. To file a report, you will need a government issued ID with a photo, proof of address and other proof you have of the theft.
- Put a freeze on your credit file. A credit freeze will prevent credit reporting agencies from giving your credit information to third parties. Therefore, you can protect your credit rating for the time being.
- Look at your credit reports. Request copies of your credit report from all the credit bureaus and check for errors, like accounts you didn’t open and inquiries you didn’t make. If you detect issues, an identity theft lawyer in Virginia may advise you to file disputes and request for the credit reporting agencies to not include information related to your identity theft in the credit report.
- File a report with the FTC. The FTC collects information about identity theft cases. If you file a report with them, you can use the information to find the perpetrator. Go to www.identitytheft.gov to file the report.
- Inform your creditors of your stolen identity. It’s a good idea to let your credit companies and other loan companies know that your identity has been stolen. The sooner they know, the better.
- Speak to a lawyer. Dealing with identity theft on your own is difficult. That’s why it’s wise to have a skilled lawyer on your side. He or she can help you find the culprit, deal with debt collection agencies and provide you with legal advice.