Finding out someone opened a credit card in your name feels sickening. You worry about your money, your credit, and what else that person did with your information. You deserve a clear plan to remedy the situation. A Florida credit identity theft attorney can help you with the bigger picture, but you can start protecting yourself right now.
Call the Card Issuer Right Away
As soon as you spot the account, call the credit card company. Tell them you did not open the card and that you are an identity theft victim. Ask them to:
- Close or freeze the account
- Remove any charges
- Send written confirmation that they flagged it as fraud
Write down the date, time, name of the person you spoke with, and any case or reference number. Keep that note somewhere safe.
Protect Your Credit File
Next, contact one of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Ask for a fraud alert on your file. That bureau must notify the other two. A fraud alert tells lenders to take extra steps to confirm your identity before they open new accounts.
After you place the alert, pull your credit reports from all three bureaus. Read them slowly. Look for:
- Accounts or cards you don’t recognize
- Hard inquiries you didn’t authorize
- Wrong addresses or employers
If something looks off, keep a list so you can identify all accounts you didn’t open. You want a clear picture of how far the damage goes.
Dispute Fraudulent Accounts and Charges
Once you have your list, dispute each fraudulent account or charge with both the creditor and the credit bureaus. Use written disputes instead of calling or filling out online forms.
List your contact information, state that you’re an identity theft victim, and name the accounts or charges that aren’t yours. Attach copies of any supporting documents. Keep a copy of every letter and email—those records help if someone later tries to collect on a fraudulent account.
Decide Whether to Freeze Your Credit
A credit freeze adds an extra layer of protection. When you freeze your credit, new lenders generally cannot access your report unless you lift the freeze. That makes it much harder for someone to open new credit in your name.
To freeze your credit, contact each bureau separately. Ask how to temporarily lift the freeze if you plan to apply for legitimate credit later. A freeze adds a bit of hassle when you open real accounts, but it can give you peace of mind if the fraud feels ongoing.
Use the FTC Identity Theft Tools
The Federal Trade Commission runs IdentityTheft.gov, which walks you through an identity theft recovery plan. After you answer some questions about what happened, the site creates:
- A personalized checklist of next steps
- Pre-filled letters to send to creditors and bureaus
- An Identity Theft Report you can use as proof
That report often carries more weight than a simple “I didn’t open this” statement and can support your disputes with lenders and credit bureaus.
File a Police Report
Making a police report might feel intimidating, especially if you do not know who stole your information. It still helps. A report gives you another official document to use when you deal with creditors, collectors, and bureaus.
Bring copies of your FTC report, credit reports, and letters from creditors with you. The more organized you are, the easier it is to show this is a pattern, not a misunderstanding.
Keep Everything in One Place
Identity theft issues rarely resolve overnight. Create a folder, digital or physical, where you keep:
- Copies of your credit reports
- All letters and emails
- Notes from phone calls, including dates and names
- Your FTC and police reports
This file becomes your memory when things get hectic. You can hand it to a lawyer later if you need more help.
When To Reach Out for Legal Help
You can handle many of these steps on your own, but you don’t have to. If creditors refuse to fix fraudulent accounts, collectors keep calling, or your credit score drops and stays low, that’s your sign to get backup.
When you reach that point, we can step in as your Florida credit identity theft attorney at Lehrman Law. We’ll review your documents, deal with creditors and credit bureaus for you, and work to help you feel safe and in control of your finances again. Call us today.