What to do if you suspect identity theft
December 6, 2009 by Stacy42
Many people who’ve become identity theft victims have been at a loss for what they need to do in this situation. Identity theft can happen to anyone and many times you will have done nothing wrong to cause this.
If you think that you’ve become a victim of identity theft, it is extremely important that you take action immediately and start to work on the damage that was done by the identity thief.
First, determine what happened. Missing credit cards, drivers license, Social Security numbers and other personal items should be reported or canceled immediately.
Canceling these will insure that they cannot be used by anyone. You should also be sure that no purchases have occurred that were not made by you. Work with your credit card company to get through this tough situation and to verify that you will not be held responsible.
You should also be sure to check your credit report as soon as you can. You can order a free credit report online. Be sure that everything on your credit report is accurate. Should you find a problem, be sure report it right away.
Checking your credit report can either put you to rest that you have not suffered from identity theft or can show you where to look when your identity has been stolen. If you ever find accounts listed that you are not aware of it can be a sign that you have been struck by identity theft. Also make sure you check the addresses listed to be sure no one has tried to get credit under your name using a different address. If you do find any problems with your credit report it is important that you get in touch with the lenders to find out what is going on and to let them know that you never opened that account. You can find the numbers of these lenders actually on the credit report to make it easy to contact lenders about the identity theft.
After you have made the initial reports you will need to go on working with the lenders to get to the bottom of the problem. At times you may even need the help of an attorney to help you get through some of this identity theft process. It is important that you take measure to protect yourself and be aware of what you can do if you ever are the victim of identity theft.
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40% is the norm, and additionally, costs and expenses also come out of the settlement amount to reimburse the attorney. When the lawyer took the case, you must have signed an engagement letter that explained the contingency fee that you agreed to pay in order to get the attorney to take the case and do all of the work, and that governs. You wouldn't have received anything if they didn't fight and win the case for you. You agreed to pay for their services. 25% is low for most regions.
Contact the local bar association.
Your role is to defend your client against the charges.