do I need a lawyer if my identity is stolen?
156586
A lawyer could be a good resource.  You may want to consult a lawyer to find out what you need to do.  Also a lawyer can help to make sure you aren't held resposible for any fraudulent charges or credit cards or accounts opened in your name.\n\nI don't think you NEED a lawyer, but it definately wouldn't hurt.
713222
You are out of luck without a lawyer.\n\nCoach
42992
Get to a lawyer and file a counter complaint for identity theft. File a complaint with the Federal Government and prosecute. Title 18 U.S.C. 2510, et. seq., would be what the changes can be filed under. These are Federal crimes and must be treated as such. Good Luck!
801028
They do.  My identity was stolen many years ago and the bank fraud investigators and the credit card investigators tracked her down and she was prosecuted by her local state attorney.
1102723
My company works on Identity theft. The things that the other people have posted here are good steps to follow.\n\nBut I wouldn't stop doing internet transactions. I have never known anyone becoming a victim of ID theft from doing transactions over the net accept for when the company you are doing business with gets hacked and that can happen to any company whether you use your credit card on line by phone or in person.\n\nThe average Identity theft case takes an average of 600 hours and $1500.00 to clear up and even then you may not get the problem solved.\n\nWhat everyone needs but almost no one has is Identity theft protection.\n\nEmail me at ChuckBaker11@yahoo.com and I can give you more information.
210637
go to a lawyer with the details.
779723
Contact your local social security office who will direct you to a website and 800# to report possible identity theft/misuse of your social security number. They will advise you to report this to your credit agencies. Try ssa.gov first and see if you can resolve your issue there but if you are like me, I like to talk to a live person.  My purse was stolen about a year ago and just as a precaution, I went through this same process.  -Well, best of luck.
728685
Call your card company and tell them ur wallet was stolen and the card was used. You should not be held liable for fraudulent activity. This is one good reason why I always write on the back of my cards "See photo ID." With a lot of stores, if your photo ID doesn't match the information on the card, they will not accept it. This happened to me when my mom gave me permission to use her card to buy some new clothes. They had to call my mom to get permission for me to use her card.
317202
if you give anymore info, someone will do IDENTITY THEFT....
1050869
Did the debit card have a NAME on it? Was it your "friends" name? \n\nDid you have the PIN number? How did you get it?\n\nDid you make a purchase or take money out of the ATM? \n\nIf you REASONABLY believed that your "friend" owned the card then you may have a defense. Theft is an "intent" crime meaning that the State would have to prove that you had the knowledge that the card was stolen in order to get a Jury to convict.\n\nHowever, if the name on the card was not your friend's name, then you reasonably should have known that your friend could not give you permission to use the card.\n\nGetting an attorney is always a good idea. Talk to him/her about your options.
953283
Yes.  This verifies that you have the card in your posession.  This prevents anyone with just your credit card number from using it.   If somesone steals your card and uses it, you can always dispute the charges.  I have been victim in credit card theft and it is really no big deal.  The card companies have always taken care of me.
578311
Steps to Take in Recovering Your Identity and Line of Credit\n\n Ensure that you report the crime to the police right away and request a copy of the police report as you may be required to provide it as proof of the crime when you are later contacting the businesses and organizations you need to deal with\n\n Document all of the steps that you take, names of all the people whom you deal with and any expenses you incur in re-establishing your credit and clearing your name\n\n Cancel all of your credit cards and have new ones issued\n\n Close all of your bank accounts and open new ones\n\n Order new bank machine and telephone calling cards and change all of your passwords\n\n If your passport has been stolen contact the passport office\n\n If your mail has been diverted, contact the post office\n\n Apply for a new driver’s license\n\n Advise all of your utility companies (including home telephone and cellular service providers) that someone using your name may attempt to open unauthorized new accounts\n\n Contact the fraud departments for each of the three major credit bureaus to ensure that your credit reports reflects the case of identity theft and follow up with them after a 3 month period to ensure that someone has not tried again to use your identity.  This will also ensure that your permission is received prior to opening any new types of credit accounts\n\n Ask the credit bureaus for copies of your credit report so that you may carefully review them and ensure that no fraudulent loans or accounts exist\n\n Notify your bank of stolen or misplaced checks, ensure a stop payment order is placed on them and contact the major check verification companies requesting that they notify retailers using their databases not to accept the lost or stolen checks\n\n Contact the Federal Trade Commission who will assist you as a victim by providing information that will help you to resolve any financial issues or other problems as a result of your identity theft
128221
they take your fingerprints or they have charges on you from the past in their database. but to have no identity one of the thhings they would have to do is erase your fingerprints with acid. Ouch
1098706
Well, first off I would relax either way.  Last I heard the laptop was recovered and by all accounts the information was not copied off.  Lets face it, this was a petty crook stealing a laptop and probably some other small things.  Turned into a Federal case with huge nationwide attention, he was probably shitting his pants.  Identity theft is a major problem, but in this case you really don't need to worry more then the rest of us.\n\nThanks for your service.
253299
You will never know if it's stolen until you either start getting bills, or it shows up on your credit reports.\n\nThe link below is for the FTC site, and explains everything you need to know about Identity Theft, and what to do if you suspect it.\n\nToo much info to post here...;)
904564
This does sound like one heck of a mess! You will have to return to the States one way or another. You have proof that you weren't even in the states when your Mom stole your ID. I knew a young girl here in Illinois who was told she could get her credit cleared but she had to press charges against her Mom she really didn't want to but she just had no other choice. She did and her Mom did serve a little time in the county jail and is on probation and my young friend has her name cleared.
820849
You need to hire a Lawyer.