Imagine this: You lose your wallet, spend days searching for it, and after flipping every pillow in the house, you decide to call your bank to cancel your cards. However, by the time you’ve reported the situation, a thief has already used your personal information to take out a payday loan in your name. Weeks go by, and you’ve replaced all the items in your wallet, but you’ve started to receive calls from a debt collector stating that you ‘x’ amount of money. You request proof of the debt, but they refuse to provide it and continue to threaten you with legal action.
Situations like these happen often and can be most damaging if not handled swiftly. Not only do you have to deal with the stress of having your identity stolen, but you must also find a way to eliminate debt issues that you played no role in incurring. The most challenging part is dealing with the debt collectors who have closed ears to your pleas of innocence and only want payment. Here’s how identity theft can lead to debt harassment.
In instances like the one mentioned previously where the individual is first tipped off about the possibility of identity theft by the debt collector, it can be confusing to wrap your head around what has happened. The natural reaction of many people who receive debt collection calls from unknown sources is to hang up or simply ignore them; however, the more favorable option is to look into their claims. By doing so, you may realize that your identity was stolen and that a third party took out that loan in your name, allowing you to send an identity theft letter to your debt collector.
The most unfortunate aspect of identity theft is that all the transactions the thief makes come up in your name. Thieves often take identification and social security numbers to confirm their stolen identity. This gives creditors and lenders no reason to believe that the debt incurred on those accounts isn’t yours. So when a debt under your name goes into collections, and you claim that you aren’t accountable for it, collectors are often unmoved as all of their records indicate you are the responsible party.
Honest debt collectors will send you proof of the debt upon your request so that you can pursue the necessary ensuing actions. Other debt collectors, however, often violate the FDCPA and TCPA by ignoring your requests for proof and continue to call you multiple times a day. Although your local police department can handle your identity theft case, you must acquire a Florida FDCPA and TCPA attorney to put an end to and get you PAID for those harassing calls. Under the FDCPA you are entitled to up to $1000 for harassment by debt collectors and under the TCPA you are entitled between $500-$1500 PER CALL!
The seasoned attorneys at The Law Offices of Jibrael S. Hindi can provide the legal representation you need. We are aware of the lengths debt collectors go to get the money owed to them, and we’re here to make sure that they don’t violate your rights during the process. Contact us today at 1-844-JIBRAEL for a free consultation with an experienced Florida TCPA attorney. You may be entitled to $1,500 per call under Telephone Consumer Protection Act and $1,000 under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.