Who governs identity theft claims? We will be reporting the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and the local police department. Identity theft claims are reported...
Identity theft claims are reported to the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice and the local police department in the area that the crime was committed. Also, if someone files a bankruptcy in another person's name, the victim will have to contact the American Bankruptcy Institute. If the crime involved using someone's checking or savings account, then the banking institute will have to be contacted as well, says Lori Lamb, a credit correction and education supervisor with Springboard Non-Profit Consumer Credit Management. She has worked in the credit industry for 12 years.
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces federal antitrust, and consumer protection laws by investigating complaints against individual companies. According to the website consumer.gov, the FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps the agency learn more about identity theft, and the problems victims have, to better assist victims in the future. The FTC serves as the main source of help for victims of identity theft. The FTC does not resolve individual problems; instead the complaints filed help the organization investigate fraud, which can lead to law enforcement action. Once the FTC receives the complaint they enter the information into a database called Consumer Sentinel, which is an online database available to civil and criminal law enforcement agencies worldwide. Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud related complaints are put into the database.
According to usdoj.gov, the Department of Justice is a department that enforces law, and defends the interests of the United States according to the law. The agency ensures public safety against foreign and domestic threats, and to prevent and control crime. The website states that the agency prosecutes cases of identity theft, and fraud under a variety of federal statutes. Federal prosecutors work with agencies such as, the Federal Bureau Investigation and the United States Secret Service to identify the thieves and prosecute them. The department tries to pursue effective means of prevention, investigation, and prosecution of identity theft offenses.
Local police and sheriff departments within a victim's jurisdiction also need to be notified, and work to help the victim find the thief. The law agencies need as much documented evidence as possible. A fraud detective or investigator is usually assigned to the case, and are the ones the victim should keep in close contact with. The Secret Service agency has jurisdiction over financial fraud cases, but usually do not investigate individual cases unless the amount is exceedingly high, or the individual was victimized with a number of other people. If no changes are made to your credit report after experiencing identity theft, contact a lawyer who specializes in consumer law, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The attorney can determine what legal actions need to be taken against creditors or credit bureaus that do not cooperate in removing fraudulent activity.
"Call the local Bar Association to find an attorney that can help you," says Lamb.
