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SCAM allert

22 Apr, 2024

Daniel Cohen

In the News: Changes by Credit Reporting Bureaus Could Wipe Your Medical Debt From Your Credit Report

Up to 70% of medical debt will be removed from Americans' credit reports starting July 2022

Automated Background Reporting Mistakes Might Get You Banned from Dating Apps

Automated Background Reporting Mistakes Can Get Users Banned from Dating Apps

Hyundai Capital America’s $19-Million Credit Reporting Catastrophe, Explained

Hyundai’s $19-Million Credit Reporting Catastrophe, Explained

How an Equifax Coding Blunder Led to Millions of Incorrect Credit Scores Issued to Lenders

Equifax Coding Snag Led to Millions of Erroneous Credit Scores Issued to Lenders

The Effect of Biden’s Federal Pardon on Marijuana Drug Charges for a Background Check

Biden's move shows the federal government's view on the drug is evolving, but it still leaves the issue mostly in the hands of the individual states

Government Investigation Finds Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian Failed to Address Errors in Consumer Credit Reports

While certainly no surprise to attorneys like us who deal with these agencies all the time, it's nice to see the government start to take notice.

Florida Residents - Are You Receiving Spam Calls or Texts?

New laws in Florida are designed to protect you from harassment by telemarketers, attempting to replace federal laws recently weakened by the Supreme Court.

Scam Likely: New Study Shows That Older Adults Aren’t the True Victims of Online Shopping Scams

It turns out that younger, supposedly more tech savvy consumers are actually in the majority.

False OFAC Alert on Credit Report: How to Solve Error?

If you had the misfortune of being erroneously flagged as a terrorist on your credit report, you need to read this.

People who serve in the military have an increased risk of Identity theft and credit reporting errors

In 2021, service-members, veterans, and military family members reported nearly 50,000 cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The CRA Circle of Sharks

This is the (sadly typical) story of one of our clients and her struggles with inaccurate information appearing in background reports from no less than 5 different credit reporting agencies

Why Vietnamese US Citizens Are Vulnerable to Identity Theft and Background Report Errors

In yet another example of the carelessness of the Credit Reporting Agencies (CRA’s), Vietnamese Americans have an increased risk of reporting errors because they don’t have that many names to go around.

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+1 877-615-1725 info@consumerattorneys.com

INVESTIGATIVE ENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT

You, (“Client,” “you”), and Consumer Attorneys PLLC (“CA” or “we”), located at 68-29 Main street Flushing, NY 11367 (“CA”) , hereby enter into this limited scope retainer agreement whereby you agree to grant CA the exclusive authority to investigate your potential consumer law claim(s), including but not limited to potential violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”), Electronic Funds Transfer Act “EFTA”), Fair Credit Billing Act (“FCPA”), and/or the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA”) (collectively referenced as “consumer protection statutes”). ¹Please read carefully before signing:

Authorization

You authorize CA to investigate your potential consumer law claim(s) under state and federal consumer protection statutes. You authorize CA to contact third parties on your behalf for the limited purpose of investigating your potential consumer law claims. “Third parties” include but are not limited to consumer reporting agencies, creditors, lenders, debt collectors, rental agencies, employers, courts, and law enforcement agencies.

CA’s Exclusive Investigative Period

CA agrees to investigate your potential consumer law claims in good faith. By signing this agreement, you agree to give CA the exclusive right to investigate your potential consumer law claim(s) for the next 180 days (“Exclusive Investigative Period”). For the duration of the Exclusive Investigative Period, you agree that you will not communicate with any other law firm or legal representative about your potential consumer law claim(s). You agree to forgo any previously scheduled consultation or case review until CA’s Exclusive Investigative Period concludes.

Termination of Exclusive Investigation Period

CA agrees that the Exclusive Investigative Period may not extend beyond 180 days without your prior written consent.

At any time between the date of this agreement and the expiration of CA’s Exclusive Investigative Period, CA may inform you of the outcome of its investigation. If CA’s investigation reveals that you have an actional consumer law claim, CA may ask you to sign a formal retainer agreement. If CA’s investigation does not reveal an actionable consumer law claim, or if CA determines to decline representation for any other reason, you will receive an e-mail that states CA will not represent you in any further pursuit of your potential claim(s).

The relationship between you and CA automatically terminates at 5pm on the 180th day of the Exclusive Investigative Period or your receipt of CA’s written notice to decline representation, whichever comes sooner. At the conclusion of the Exclusive Investigative Period or upon receipt of CA’s written declination of representation, you are permitted to seek alternative legal counsel without penalty.

Nothing in this agreement should be construed as a promise or guarantee that CA will represent you in a consumer lawsuit at any point in time. CA reserves the right to decline to represent you for any reason permitted by relevant laws and ethical rules.

Your Involvement and Promises to us

You agree to meaningfully participate and cooperate in CA’s investigation of your potential consumer law claim(s). You agree to immediately inform CA if your mailing address, e-mail address, or phone number changes at any point during the Exclusive Investigative Period.
You agree to provide all relevant information, communications, documents, materials, and all other similar instruments to CA and its representatives during the Exclusive Investigative Period. You understand that your failure to provide all relevant information, communications, documents, and materials to CA during the Exclusive Investigative Period may hinder, delay or otherwise frustrate CA’s investigation of your potential consumer law claim(s).

You agree, under penalty of perjury, to provide complete, accurate, and truthful information to CA. All documents and communications, oral or written, past or future, provided to CA during the Exclusive Investigative Period and anytime thereafter are presumed by CA to be true, complete, and accurate.

Fees and Costs Incurred During Exclusive Investigative Period

CA agrees that you will not incur any out-of-pocket fees or costs during CA’s Exclusive Investigative Period. However, if CA agrees to represent you in a consumer lawsuit, CA may recover the fees and costs incurred during the Exclusive Investigative Period from the Defendant pursuant to a future settlement or judgment.

You agree that CA has a right to place a lien on any future monetary recovery obtained by client related to the claims identified during CA’s Exclusive Investigative Period or as a result of CA’s investigative efforts. If you refuse to cooperate with CA in the formal pursuit of the consumer law claim(s) it identifies during or after the Exclusive Investigative Period, you agree that CA has the right to recover the fees and costs it incurred while investigating your potential consumer law claim(s).

Authorization to Use Your Electronic Signature

CA will send you any and all documents that require your signature. You authorize CA to affix your electronic signature to requests, disclosures, or other forms that CA deems reasonably necessary to the investigation of your potential consumer law claim(s) upon receipt of your approval or after the 7th day after the document was sent to you, whichever comes first. Your electronic signature will be used on any and all other subsequent documents that will need signature, affirmation, acknowledgment, or any other forms of authentication in reference to this matter under the above referenced procedure.

¹You also agree to give CA the exclusive authority to investigate potential violations of state-specific consumer protection statutes.

FORM # INV2025CA119

I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy, Investigative Retainer

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