Credit report errors & identity theft

Inaccurate information appears in consumers’ credit reports and background checks far more often than people realize. Studies have found that roughly one in four reports contains a serious error — and those errors can mean being denied a credit card, an insurance policy, a job, or a mortgage. Worse, you often don’t discover the problem until you apply for something important and there isn’t time to fix it.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), credit reporting agencies and the companies that furnish information to them have a legal duty to correct inaccurate information. If they don’t do it properly, you may have a claim.

How to dispute the right way

Send a dispute letter to the credit bureaus requesting correction of any inaccurate information, and protect your record while you do it:

1. Keep a copy of the letter after you have signed it.
2. Mail it by certified mail, return receipt requested.
3. Keep the certificate of mailing and the return receipt together with your copy of the letter.

Need the mailing addresses? We keep an up-to-date list of credit-bureau dispute addresses, along with why you should dispute in writing rather than online.

Identity theft

Many of our clients are victims of identity theft trying to recover their good name and good credit. Some are sued by creditors for fraudulent accounts opened in their name. Others are harassed by collectors over accounts they never opened. People who once had excellent credit suddenly find themselves denied — living what they describe as a nightmare. There are laws to protect you. The identity theft can be stopped, your credit recovered, and in many cases our clients also recover damages under the FCRA.

Debts you discharged in bankruptcy

Many people who file for bankruptcy don’t get the clean start they expected: creditors keep reporting that money is still owed. This usually isn’t your bankruptcy lawyer’s error — it’s a credit-reporting problem the FCRA was built to address. We may be able to help you get the credit you deserve restored, and recover damages.

What this costs you