Today, we will continue discussing the theme of yesterday's post, "What can I do if I am a victim of identity fraud?" Millions of people every year are victims of identity theft and fraud. Even more are victims of credit/debt card fraud. You have to protect yourself because we are all vulnerable to the tactics of thieves and scam artists.
Here are a few more things you can do to protect yourself:
Handling problems with existing credit or debit accounts.
1. Immediately dispute fraudulent charges with your bank or card issuer.
2. Request replacement cards with new account numbers.
3. Carefully monitor your bills for evidence of new fraudulent activity.
Handling debt collectors trying to collect fraudulent accounts.
1. Ask for the company information and the person contacting you.
2. Tell the collector that you are a victim of fraud and not responsible.
3. Ask for the name and contact information of the original creditor
4. Ask the amount of the debt, account number, and dates of the charges.
5. If the account is on your credit reports, dispute it with all 3 credit bureaus.
It is your right to work on credit issues yourself, but you may want some assistance to correct the effects of identity fraud if you feel too busy or too overwhelmed to try address the issues alone. HOPE4USA educates and assists our clients in remedying the effects of identity fraud. If you would like to know more please call us at 704-499-9696. We are waiting for your call.
Ron Lambright is an expert with over a decade and a half of experience in credit repair, credit improvement, credit reporting, and credit scoring. Ron is called upon weekly to speak at various seminars educating attorneys, loan officers, Realtors, other professionals, and consumers regarding the complex subjects of credit reporting and credit scoring. He is regularly featured on talk shows and podcasts and has been published in countless articles, educational handbooks, and blogs. He is an expert at teaching consumers and business owners how to achieve their credit related goals. Connect with Ron on Facebook here.
