FCRA Attorney Florida - Consumer Attorneys

Thank you for spending a few moments with Consumer Attorneys! Here, you will accomplish two things: 1) you will garner peace of mind knowing a local Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) attorney will assist with your credit-related issue that needs to be remedied, and 2) if you qualify, you will have an opportunity to seek damages for credit report errors that were never properly addressed.

It doesn't matter if one lives in Florida, California, or Alaska. American consumers are protected by the FCRA, which shields people from being victimized or bullied by debt collectors, background check companies, and credit reporting agencies (CRA) – yes, even the three major agencies: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian!

The FCRA was enacted to ensure accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information contained in files held by consumer reporting agencies. The FCRA protects consumers from a sad reality: those who claim to be professionals in the credit reporting industry do not always adhere to the highest standard of ethics.  

For example, consumers who follow correct protocol with their credit report disputes are sometimes ignored. Credit reporting agencies will often take sides with their furnisher(s) whose credit information may conflict with consumers' information. A credit reporting agency may then give zero credence to a consumer who may have a legitimate credit report grievance. This represents only one example of why an FCRA attorney in Florida near you should become your staunch legal ally if you are experiencing any type of credit-related issue.

Perhaps, you have experienced challenges with inaccurate information included in your credit reports, unlawful disclosure of your credit reports, and/or identity theft that has affected your credit. If you have not checked your credit reports recently, there could be serious inaccuracies lowering your credit score.

Who's Guarding the Credit Report Gate?

Consumers should never rely on credit reporting agencies to ensure their credit report information is kosher. You must take the initiative to ensure your credit reports are completely accurate and updated.  Many people are under the false impression that credit bureaus automatically eliminates all credit report irregularities as soon as they appear – not so!

If you rarely check your credit reports for accuracy, your credit could be taking a beating and you would never know – that is, until you apply for a mortgage, try to secure a car loan, or interview for a job. All these major components in one's life are driven by one's creditworthiness!

At Consumer Attorneys, we represent FCRA attorney teams in Florida who are ready to connect with you concerning your credit report issues, from data entry errors to full-blown fraud. It is critical to obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three CRAs once a year. Meticulously study each report and make notations of any questionable entries. If you notice anything that looks inaccurate, contact our legal team right away at +1 877-615-1725

The FCRA is Your Lifeline to Justice

As mentioned, the FCRA is your protection against false, omitted, or inaccurate information included in your credit reports and designed to protect the privacy of your information. You might be asking, “How do credit reports become compromised?”

Though the following list does not cover every possibility, here are just a few ways your credit reports can become jeopardized:

Merged Files – Similar or identical names within a family or outside a family can present problems with credit reports. Names can be merged into the wrong credit report with an identical or almost identical name. Interestingly, as many as 35% of merged files involve family members.

Identity Theft – Identity theft is a huge problem in Florida, and it's not going away anytime soon. If a thief steals your personal information, he or she would use your credit cards, bank accounts, etc. to make unlawful cash advances, purchases, or secure loans in your name!

Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in America. According to the recent Identity Fraud Study by Javelin Strategy & Research, identity theft generated $16.9 billion in losses in 2019 in the United States. In 2020, 47% of U.S. consumers surveyed experienced identity theft, 37% experienced application fraud, and 38% experienced unauthorized access to existing accounts.

Have you analyzed your credit reports lately? If you suspect identity theft:

• File a police report – some lenders, creditors, and debt collectors may require this
• Fill out an identity theft affidavit from the Federal Trade Commission http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0094-identity-theft-affidavit and reach them at 1-877-438-4338. This needs to be submitted to all involved creditors.
• Notify the CRAs to generate a credit freeze, which would prevent anyone – including you – from opening up a new line of credit in your name. Transaction alerts with credit card issuers can also be established to provide additional security.

All this may feel very stressful, but take a deep breath. As mentioned, Consumer Attorneys can put you in touch with an FCRA attorney who is highly skilled in addressing identity theft.

Unauthorized Access – The FCRA strictly limits who has a legitimate reason to view your credit report. Legitimate searches are conducted by loan officers, potential landlords, employers, and others who have your permission.  

If your credit reports, however, were accessed without your approval, you may discover unauthorized activities. Also, if someone has viewed your account who does not have a permissible business purpose, you must take action immediately! Any type of unauthorized access should be viewed as potential identity theft!

Inaccurate Public Records – Many times, CRAs will use independent agencies to search public records, and those independent agencies report back to the CRAs. As one could expect, the more people involved means the more likely errors can occur.

Human error, all on its own, can find its way into your credit reports. A bankruptcy, for example, that was discharged, may not be reported as such. Then, there are inaccurate descriptions of real estate properties. A simple clerical error indicating the wrong square footage of a home can lead to lending complications. These two examples only scratch the surface regarding public records gone awry!  

Stale Debt – Some debts are old enough to be considered 'stale.' Usually, trade lines (credit accounts reported to credit bureaus) should drop off one's credit report within seven or seven and a half years after the initial delinquency. If any delinquent debt is still on your credit report that shouldn't be there, a Florida FCRA attorney can address the hurdles keeping the delinquent debt from being removed.

Re-aged Debt – Shady collection agencies may take it upon themselves to alter the last payment date of the debtor's account in hopes of altering the statute of limitations.  

The statute of limitations period starts on the date of the first non-payment or the date of the last activity. A collection agency has no legal authority to change the date of first delinquency. If this has occurred, it is a gross violation of federal law and is a suable offense. You would have the right to pursue a cause of action, as outlined by the FCRA and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. 

Let's Get Your Life Back!

Legal representation is vital to ensure your rights are being protected under the FCRA. Our Florida clients want desired outcomes, including being awarded maximized financial compensations when applicable. Our FCRA attorney teams will fight for your rights and every penny in compensation you are legally entitled to receive!

We encourage you to visit www.annualcreditreport.com to secure your free credit reports. If any information looks questionable, give us a call at +1 877-615-1725. An FCRA attorney will assess your situation as part of a free case review. You can also take advantage of a free credit report analysis.

Our Expertise = Your Justice!

As a leading national consumer protection law firm, Consumer Attorneys offers Florida residents more than 10 years of consumer protection experience. In addition to addressing damaging credit report information, Florida residents benefit from strong legal counsel when dealing with debt collectors and background check businesses who violate the FCRA. Our attorneys' efforts have secured more than $100 million in monetary recoveries for our clients.  

From Florida to Arizona to California, our attorneys help consumers restore their good names, reputations, and credit standings that may have been negatively impacted by one or more parties' actions. Consumer Attorneys represents the interests of consumers nationwide in state and federal courts.

Consumer Attorneys is featured in a variety of prominent media outlets, including Super Lawyers, CR Consumer Reports, Bankrate, The New York Times, Daily News, Reuters, and Law Street. Super Lawyers, for instance, has a long-standing reputation for excellence and includes only qualified lawyers chosen from a select pool of peer-reviewed and independently researched candidates.

It's important to know that if your case is accepted, you will pay no out-of-pocket fees. Your FCRA attorney team would receive a fee only if they would win on your behalf!

It's Time to Right the Wrongs – Give Our Experts a Call!

If your credit reports include damaging errors or if your errors have not been rectified after a proper dispute or other measures, call Consumer Attorneys immediately! Florida residents can connect with our legal team in various ways:

• Call +1 877-615-1725 for immediate assistance and a free case review.
• Fill out our brief Contact Us form or initiate a LIVE CHAT share your concerns.
• Reach out to us at info@consumerattorneys.com with any questions at any time.