When to Contact a Lawyer About Your Credit Report

When it comes to your credit report, understanding when to involve a lawyer can be essential for protecting your financial reputation and rights. While many errors or disputes can be handled on your own, there are certain situations where legal expertise is not just helpful—it's necessary. Here’s a guide on when you should consider reaching out to a credit report attorney:

When to Contact a Lawyer About Your Credit Report

1. Identity Theft or Fraud

If you discover accounts you didn’t open, unauthorized transactions, or evidence of identity theft on your credit report, contact an attorney immediately. Identity theft can cause lasting financial harm, and an experienced lawyer can help you freeze your credit, dispute fraudulent accounts, and guide you through police reports and legal actions to protect your finances and clear your name.

2. Credit Bureau or Furnisher Refuses to Fix Errors

After you’ve disputed incorrect information with the credit bureaus or the company that reported the error, they are required by law to investigate and correct verified mistakes. If your valid dispute is ignored, dismissed without proper review, or the error persists after multiple good-faith efforts, legal action may be your next step. A lawyer can hold bureaus and creditors accountable under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

3. Repeated Credit Reporting Mistakes

If you’re dealing with recurring or systemic errors—such as accounts that reappear after being removed, information that is repeatedly mixed with someone else’s, or credit reporting after bankruptcy discharge—a lawyer can help escalate the issue and pursue compensation if you’re suffering harm as a result.

4. Improper or Impermissible Access

Sometimes, your credit report may be accessed by someone who doesn’t have a valid reason under the law (for example, a company using your report for marketing without permission). This is a serious violation of your privacy and an attorney can help you take legal action.

5. Emotional or Financial Harm

If mistakes on your credit report have caused you to be denied credit, lose a job or promotion, or suffer significant emotional distress or reputational damage, a lawyer can help you pursue damages in court. Many attorneys offer free consultations and work on a contingency basis—you don’t pay unless you recover money.

How a Credit Report Attorney Can Help

• Communicate with credit bureaus, creditors, and debt collectors on your behalf.

• File lawsuits for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

• Recover financial damages and seek removal of incorrect information.

• Guide you through complex cases involving identity theft or repeated errors.

Final Tips

• Start by disputing any errors with the credit bureau and the company that provided the information.

• Keep thorough records of your correspondence and dispute attempts.

• If the dispute process fails or involves fraud, consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in credit reporting issues.

Taking action promptly can help contain the damage and protect your credit health for years to come

Fraud: Verification vs. Authentication

As we evolve to a virtual format, we are threatened by new forms of fraud. Providing confirmation that a consumer, customer, or organization  is who they say they are usually requires that they provide identity verification and authentication. These terms are not used interchangeably and not knowing the difference can make you vulnerable to fraud.

A verified identity proves that this identity exists, whereas an authentication proves that this user is who they claim to be. However, it is important to note that verifying an identity exists does not prove that it belongs to the person putting in the information.

When creating and securing an account online a combination of a name, address, phone number and email on a form can provide enough information for a company to verify a consumer’s identity to establish trust upon creation of an account. The information can be cross-checked among multiple data sources such as utilities or phone carriers, to ensure the name matches the data on file.

Fraudsters can illicitly obtain identifying information to apply for new accounts in their victims’ names. Some create synthetic identities and fabricate credentials that are not associated with a real person which can fool the verification process.

Some organizations recognized this type of identity theft and have shifted toward a better authentication process that require more than just simply verifying that an identity exists. Organization’s work to confirm that the person who created the new account provide some proof of identity by asking to provide a government photo ID for facial recognition.

Authentication is still an on-going identity-proofing process that checks both the identity of the digital user and ensures the integrity of the device they are using. The most notable system in place currently is the two-factor authentication and one-time passcode method that grant account access to the right person in real time.

A study from CMO Council in 2021 showed that authentication frustration caused 61% of consumers to abandon a transaction. Another report from TransUnions 2022 Global Digital Fraud Trends showed that approximately two-thirds of consumers would switch companies for a better digital experience.

T-Mobile Data Breach

T-Mobile - the cellar service provider - has confirmed that hackers stole sensitive personal data of more than 40 million former and prospective customers (those who gave the company personal information to run credit check) during a data breach on August 16th. An additional 7.8 million current T-mobile customer accounts were also hacked.  The stolen data included information such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, birth dates and more.  

The company stated that phone numbers and financial information, such as bank account numbers and credit card numbers were not included in the hack. 

Protecting Yourself After a Data Breach

Although T-Mobile claims payment information wasn’t obtained during the breach, it is in the best interest of customers to assume their information is out there.  When personal information falls into the hands of criminals, identity theft and fraud quickly become a major problem that is difficult to counter. Acting quickly can save you a lot of grief down the road. 

Steps To Take: 

Freeze your credit

Freezing your accounts is one of the most important steps you can take if you believe your data may be compromised. Freezing your credit blocks lenders from being able to review your credit report to approve a new line of credit. That means you won’t see any surprise credit cards or loans taken out in your name. 

To freeze your credit, you need to contact each of the major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - directly. The bureaus will require information to verify your identity, such as SSN, a copy of your photo ID and proof of residence to approve the freeze. Some bureaus assign a PIN that is required to unfreeze your credit report. 

It will not cost you anything to freeze your credit report and doing so will not affect your credit score. A freeze can be temporarily or permanently lifted at any time. 

Check Your Credit Report

Even if you freeze your credit report, it is a good idea to request copies of your reports from each bureaus to check if any fraudulent activity has occurred. Due to the pandemic, all three bureaus are granting free access to credit reports weekly through April 2022 at www.annualcreditreport.com  This site works directly with the three bureaus to allow customers to pull their reports via a simple web portal. 

Your reports show a detailed history of your payments and balances for various credit products, including credit cards, mortgages, cars, personal and student loans. The reports will not show your credit score. 

When reviewing your reports, you may find fraudulent or inaccurate information. In that case, you want to work with the bureaus to dispute the information and have it removed. If you believe that you are a victim of fraud or identity theft, you may also want to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov 

Monitor Your Bank Accounts

T-Mobile states that credit and debit card information isn’t included in the data breach, but it is important to keep a close eye on your bank accounts for suspicious activity. If you see charges that you haven’t made, call your bank immediately to report the fraud. 

If you are still having trouble with disputing information and you are a victim or fraud or identity theft, let us know and we can help!