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Financial / Tax info

Laws current as of August 29, 2023

Identity theft

You said that your husband [CHANGE “HUSBAND” IF NEEDED] took out credit in your name and you asked if there is anything you can do to report the fraud and get your name off of the account. A person who is the victim of identity theft may have to take several steps to try and have their name removed from unauthorized debt. A person may want to contact one of the major credit reporting agencies, such as Experian, to put a freeze on the account so that no further credit can be issued without prior approval. After that, a person can contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the identity theft. They can be reached at 1-877-IDTHEFT or www.IdentityTheft.gov. 

You may also want to contact the non-profit organization called the Identity Theft Resource Center. They have a free hotline listed on their website that you can call to see what tips and help they can offer.

Identity theft may be a crime and so a person who has experienced identity theft may then want to contact law enforcement to report any criminal activity. In some situations, this may even be necessary for the lender to remove a person’s name from unauthorized debt. After a police report has been generated, a person who has experienced identity theft may want to alert the lender, generally in writing, to inform them of the situation.

It might be helpful to discuss this situation with a lawyer. For someone who cannot afford a lawyer, s/he may be able to get help from a legal aid organization, which provides free or low-cost legal help in some cases. If you contact them and they can’t represent you, you may want to ask if you can at least get a free consultation with an attorney to answer some questions and to get brief advice. You may also want to try any law schools in your area because sometimes they have legal clinics and can take cases for free. For someone who can afford a lawyer, a lawyer referral service can help find a lawyer who has experience in the relevant areas of law. On our website you can find contact information for legal aid lawyers and a lawyer referral service. [CHANGE LAWYER LINK TO EMAILER’S STATE]

[**Can also use SL for suing an abuser**]

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