If you are a California resident who has been the victim of identity theft and are having trouble with debt collectors who will not stop contacting you, we can help you. We can also help if you have not been able to get creditors and debt collectors to note on your credit bureau report that you dispute the debt, or give you a copy of the paperwork they think proves you owe the debt. And we can help if creditors do not remove identity-theft debts from your credit bureau report once you have given them information to show the debts aren't yours.

Stopping debt collectors after ID theft: your first letter. Debt collectors must stop contacting you if you write them a letter saying 1) you're an identity theft victim  2) the debt is fraudulent and you want the charge removed and 4) you want a copy of all paperwork they think supports the debt. For more information about how to do this, and a sample letter, please see Identity Theft Debt Notification Letter in our library.

Your follow-up letter. Once you get paperwork related to a fraudulent debt, you should write the debt collectors and creditors again to confirm that the debt is fraudulent, and to request that they remove it from your records. Your letter should also point out anything wrong in the paperwork that would show the debt is fraudulent -- for example, that the signature used to open the account is not yours, or the phone number, email, or street address shown is not yours. You'll need to do this for each debt collector and each creditor. You should send all letters certified mail and keep a copy for proof. For more information and a sample follow-up letter, please see Identity Theft Debt Follow-Up Letter in our library.

Professional help for collection abuse from ID theft. If you've taken these steps but the same debt collectors keep contacting you, they are breaking the law, and we can help you. We can stop all contacts and file suit for money, attorney's fees, and court costs to compensate you for illegal collection tactics. If a debt collector has ignored your request to remove the debt, record that it is disputed, or send you a copy of the paperwork they think supports the debt, we can handle that as well.

Fines against creditors. California identity theft law says a court can make creditors pay you a penalty ("punitive damages") of up to $30,000 if they don't clear up your credit once you properly notify them of identity theft, including explaining why the debt is not yours (wrong signature / telephone number / email / street address, etc.). It allows you to hire a lawyer on a "contingent fee," meaning the fee amount is a percentage of your settlement or court award amount - if there is no recovery, there is no fee.

Professional help for improper credit bureau reporting from ID theft. If a creditor has ignored your request to remove the debt or send you a copy of the paperwork they think supports the debt, we can help you. We will immediately take steps to have your credit bureau report corrected and file suit for money, attorney's fees, and court costs to compensate you for credit bureau reporting abuse.

We sue debt collectors and creditors who do not obey the law about contacting you or clearing up your credit bureau report once you have properly reported identity theft and explained that the debts aren't yours. We'll seek money for you, attorney's fees, and court costs. We are licensed California attorneys with years of courtroom experience and high official ratings for our legal skills and ethics. When we accept your case, we dedicate ourselves to seeking justice for you. If we do not recover for you, you owe us nothing.

If you have been the victim of identity theft, you have the right to be treated fairly, properly, and respectfully by debt collectors, creditors, and credit bureaus. If you have taken the necessary steps and are still being contacted by debt collectors, or if debt collectors or creditors have not sent you their supporting paperwork or have not removed it from your credit bureau report, and you are a California resident, we can help you.

We can be reached by telephone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are glad to provide you with a telephone consultation at no charge. But please remember that for us to become your attorneys, we must first have a written attorney-client agreement signed by both of us. We look forward to helping you.