Protect Yourself from Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft in Iowa

lmost everyone in Iowa and throughout this nation is at risk for being a victim of some form of consumer fraud in their lifetime. Whether you pay bills online, swipe your ATM card, apply for a credit card, make a wire transfer, or purchase something on the Internet, there is a chance for identity thieves to get a hold of your personal and financial information.

To help combat consumer fraud, being educated about your consumer rights may help, but sometimes even the smartest person may still become a victim of identity theft and many other types of fraud. Some of the consumer fraud issues that top the list of complaints include: identity theft, credit card fraud, bank fraud, employment fraud, medical fraud, or even establishing a phone or wireless service in your name.

There are many consumer fraud complaints that are logged each year with the Federal Trade Commission. In fact, identity theft in Iowa and throughout this nation continues to be show an increase in fraud complaints filed with the Iowa Attorney General and the FTC almost every year.

Between 2000 and 2007, identity theft topped the charts for the most fraud complaints that the FTC received. In 2007, the FTC ranked identity theft as the highest type of complaint they received with 36% of the 673,354 consumer fraud complaints, which means there were 246,035 identity theft complaints throughout the nation that year.

How Do You Know if You Might Be a Victim of Identity Theft?

  1. Getting credit cards that you didn't apply for
  2. Failing to receive bills in the mail that you once did
  3. Receiving phone calls from debt collectors on accounts you have no knowledge about
  4. Seeing unexplained withdrawals from your account
  5. Spotting new credit accounts open on your credit report
  6. Getting denied credit for no reason

What Can You Do If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft?

  1. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission
  2. File a complaint with the Iowa Attorney General
  3. Request a copy of your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies
  4. Speak with an experienced Consumer Fraud Lawyer

When your identity is stolen, you may suffer a tarnished credit report, time lost cleaning up the mess, and lost money, not to mention the mental anguish and emotional stress such a situation can cause you. Sometimes, victims of identity theft can miss out on auto loans, home loans, educational loans and even employment opportunities due to a poor credit report that the identity theft may have created.

If you have been a victim of credit card fraud, bank fraud, identity theft in Iowa, or any type of financial fraud, you need to speak with a skilled Cedar Rapids consumer fraud attorney at the law offices of Brady Preston Gronlund at (319) 866-9277. Call today for a free legal consultation, and our knowledgeable fraud attorneys will let you know your legal options for your specific case.