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Identity theft can happen to everyone. When someone steals your personal data and you suffer financial damages, you have several options to solve the issue, including claiming identity theft insurance. But a question may pop up in your mind, “Should I hire a lawyer for identity theft?”
While some people believe that most lawyers do not have the competence to handle identity theft cases, the rest may recommend you hire one to sue the perpetrator. If you find it difficult to decide whether or not you hire an attorney, please keep reading.
Do You Need to Hire a Lawyer for Identity Theft?
When your identity is stolen and you suffer substantial damages like financial loss and a ruined reputation, you can sue the wrongdoer or the third-party entity where your information is sourced. However, the case of identity theft can be tricky to prove as it is rather difficult to track the thief.
Getting an attorney can help you in several ways. A seasoned theft identity attorney could assist law enforcement agencies to perform investigations. A lawyer could even determine if a third party could be liable for your loss.
For example, it has been identified that your stolen information is sourced from a bank that is failed to comply with a standard protection system. A professional attorney might help you win the case, so you could obtain a favorable outcome and compensation.
Should I hire a lawyer for identity theft? Yes, unless you are capable enough to represent yourself or you have a strong law background. Otherwise, you should get a legal advocate that help you win the complicated case and recover your loss.
How a Lawyer Can Help You
An identity theft lawyer is responsible to proceed after your personal data is stolen. If you wonder how these attorneys can help you, take a closer look at several points below.
1. File a Report to the FTC
As soon as you find that someone has stolen your identity, the first step to take is to file a report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Visit the official website of the FTC and fill out the form. Any submitted information will be used by law enforcement agencies to track the wrongdoer.
Filling out the form can be tricky as you have to provide a lot of information. A lawyer can help you fill out the report so you don’t miss important details.
2. File Police Report
After filing a report to the FTC, you will need to file a police report because identity theft is considered a major crime. Your attorney that serves as your representative will help you with the process and keep you on track. They also let you know what documents you need to make a report.
Some documents you need to prepare include a copy of the FTC report, government-issued photo identification, and evidence of the theft.
3. Remove False Information on Your Credit Reports
The next step to take after filing your police report is to remove wrongful information from your credit reports. The thief may use your credit card to take out loans and if they fail to make payments, your credit score is in danger.
Should I hire a lawyer for identity theft? If you need someone to help you remove false information on your credit report, yes you should get an attorney. A lawyer has experience solving this issue so you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.
4. Contact Financial Institutions
You never know what the thief will do with your identity but you must block their movement. Contacting financial institutions is one of the effective ways to stop them from creating new accounts under your name or accessing your existing accounts.
But if you don’t know how to communicate with these institutions, an identity theft lawyer can help you. With their experience, the lawyer will retain your rights and make sure you do not have issues with these institutions in the future.
5. Recover Financial Loss
Identity theft often causes financial losses and it is rather difficult to recover by yourself. Should I hire a lawyer for identity theft to resolve this issue? Yes, an attorney with cyber crime expertise can help you recover financial losses by claiming from your credit card institutions.
Every credit card user is protected by the Consumer Credit Act which states that if someone performs unauthorized payments, you have the right to get the money back.
6. Prevent Future Theft
Another way a professional lawyer can help you with identity theft is by preventing the same occurrence in the future. They can assist you to optimize the protection of your information, such as changing passwords and sharing security tips.
Identity theft, unlike most legal cases, is rather difficult to resolve because it happens in the cyber world. Should I hire a lawyer for identity theft? Yes, you should get an attorney but make sure they specialize in handling cyber threats and cybercrime.
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