Tampa Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud Lawyer

Crime is taken seriously in Tampa – especially when it involves identity theft and credit card fraud. This comes as a result of firms like Sharmin & Sharmin who are determined to pursue those targeting innocent victims across the city. Tampa Bay has seen its fair share of illegal financial activity, but not without consequence.

Contact a Tampa identity theft and credit card fraud lawyer from Sharmin & Sharmin P.A. today to learn about how you can restore your credit report free of monthly charge, obtain a free online consultation, and retake the stable financial life you once had.

Why Tampa Residents Choose Sharmin & Sharmin

Sharmin & Sharmin has garnered an array of praise through its extensive trial experience. Our dedication to our clients has been recognized by numerous awards and memberships with the National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, National Consumer Law Center, and more. As a law firm, our top priority is the client and ensuring that we dedicate as many resources as possible to our cases.

• Sharmin & Sharmin has decades of experience in the state of Florida
• We go a step further by holding credit bureaus and other financial institutions accountable following a case of identity theft or credit card fraud
• Our FCRA lawyers in Florida are experts in consumer law. We leverage the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and other state and federal legislation to give you peace of mind after becoming the victim of a financial crime. 

How Identity Theft Happens in Tampa

Identity theft can happen during normal daily tasks. A thief may steal mail, hack an online account, or place a skimmer on an ATM or gas pump. A skimmer collects card information when someone swipes or inserts a card.

Personal information may also be exposed when a company has a data breach. Names, passwords, Social Security numbers, and account details may then fall into the wrong hands.

Common Types of Identity Theft

There are many forms of identity theft, including:

• Credit card fraud: Someone uses your card or card number without permission.
• Account takeover: A thief gains control of an existing bank or credit account.
• Financial identity theft: Someone uses your name to open an account or take out a loan.
• Medical identity theft: Another person uses your health insurance to receive medical care or prescription drugs.
• Tax identity theft: A thief uses your Social Security number to file a tax return.
• Synthetic identity theft: A thief mixes real information with false details to create a new identity.
• Child identity theft: Someone uses a child’s Social Security number to open accounts or borrow money.

Some fraud is discovered quickly. Other fraud may remain hidden until a lender denies an application or a debt collector calls.

Warning Signs of Identity Theft

A strange charge may be the first warning sign, but other signs are easy to miss. You may receive a bill for an account you did not open. You may receive a credit card you never requested. You may also get calls about debts you do not owe.

Check your credit reports for unknown names, addresses, accounts, or credit checks. Other warning signs include withdrawals you do not recognize, a sudden drop in your credit score, changed passwords, missing mail, or a denied loan or rental application.

What to Do If Your Identity Is Stolen

Act as soon as you find signs of identity theft. Contact the bank, lender, or company tied to the false account. Ask it to close or freeze the account. Change passwords for any accounts that may be at risk. You should also:

• Review all three of your credit reports.
• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your files.
• Report the theft through IdentityTheft.gov.
• Consider filing a police report and keep a copy.
• Dispute false accounts with the credit bureaus.
• Notify any company reporting a false debt.
• Save letters, emails, reports, and proof of delivery.
• Write down the date and details of each phone call.

These records can show when you reported the fraud and how each company responded.

Florida – an Exceptionally Bad State for Identity Fraud

The state of Florida, and more specifically, the Tampa Bay area has a history of identity theft and credit card fraud. Unfortunately, there is a myriad of shady individuals who try to rob people of their money. Be it through credit card skimmers or a deep web information leak, identity fraud happens all the time. 

• According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), Florida is ranked number 6 in identity theft amongst all other states in the country
• The number of identity theft reports in the state reached 294,328 in 2021, a figure larger than the population of Orlando
• Around 1 in 100 people in Florida will have their identity stolen over the course of a year
• Florida ranks 2nd in cybercrimes in the country, which includes credit card fraud and identity theft
• Nationwide, $6 billion dollars was lost to fraud in 2021, a number that has been increasing by around $1 billion yearly 

When Credit Bureaus Fail to Fix the Problem

Finding the thief may not fix your credit. A credit bureau, bank, lender, or debt collector may keep reporting a false account after you report the theft. This can hurt your credit and make it harder to get housing, a car loan, or another form of credit.

The FCRA gives consumers the right to dispute false or incomplete information. A dispute should name the account, explain the error, and include supporting records. Keep a copy of everything you send.

If a company does not properly investigate your dispute or correct false information, our attorneys can review what happened. We may gather records, contact the companies, and determine whether you have a claim for the harm caused.

Call a Tampa Identity Theft Attorney Immediately

With an ever-growing frequency of identity fraud in the state of Florida, it has never been more important to enlist the help of Tampa identity theft and credit card fraud lawyers. At Sharmin & Sharmin, we employ professionals who are anything but strangers to the identity fraud climate of western Florida. Where many companies fail to meet the needs of clients, Sharmin exceeds. If you would like to contact an attorney that puts the client first, please reach out to our team by following this link to our website or by calling 1-844-Sharmin today.