It is no secret that having your identity stolen really messes up your life. In the movies, identity theft is sometimes played for laughs, such as in Identity Thief, starring Melissa McCarthy, and sometimes for pathos, such as in Changing Lanes, starring Samuel L. Jackson. In real life, there is no entertainment value in being a victim of identity theft. Despite our best efforts to prevent identity theft, such as by choosing difficult to guess Internet passwords and by shredding documents that contain identifying information, identity thieves still sometimes manage to get a hold of enough information to give them access to people’s bank accounts and other identity-linked assets. If you think that your accounts have been compromised, the Texas Identity Theft Victims’ Kit can help you minimize the damage resulting from the identity theft.
About the Texas Identity Theft Victims’ Kit
The purpose of the Identity Theft Victims’ Kit is to help you gather information that you will need to help you recover from identity theft and to use in any legal action resulting from the identity theft. In spirit, it is similar to a sexual assault kit, which is designed to collect physical evidence, especially DNA evidence, that will help in solving a criminal case related to the sexual assault. A main difference is that, unlike violent crimes, identity theft usually has no physical evidence that would lead investigators to the identity thief.
Instead, the Identity Theft Victims’ Kit contains forms and contact information to help you document the identity theft and report fraudulent activity to the relevant authorities, thereby minimizing the financial losses you incur as a result of the identity theft. These are some of its contents:
- Contact information of check verification companies
- The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Identity Theft Affidavit, including the Fraudulent Account Statement
- Contact information of credit bureaus, so you can file a fraud alert
- A list of identity document-issuing agencies to contact if your identity has been stolen
- The Application Requesting Declaration that the Applicant is a Victim of Identity Theft
- Court Order Application and instructions for preparing and filing it
- Instructions for preparing exhibits related to your identity theft case
- The text of Texas laws pertaining to identity theft
Six Steps to Recovering from Identity Theft
Using the items in the kit, you should follow six steps promptly to reduce the financial and legal damage that identity thieves can do with your stolen information.
- Close all bank accounts, credit cards, and other accounts connected to your stolen information.
- File a police report and keep a copy of the report.
- Report the identity theft to the FTC.
- Contact other government agencies to alert them to the identity theft.
- Continue to monitor your credit reports.
- File documents with the court affirming that you have been a target of identity theft.
Contact Madrid Law About Identity Theft Cases
Whether your identifying information has been compromised or whether you have been accused of identity theft, a defense lawyer can be a great help to you. Contact Madrid Law in Houston about your identity theft case.
