The consequences of identity theft can haunt you for years. And, of course, it can be very expensive. When you’ve been wronged in such a way, you deserve compensation for your monetary losses, as well as the other harm that it has caused you. But who pays? You can go after the criminal, if you can find them, but they may not have the money. But there are others who may be partly responsible for what happened to you. Each case is unique who you can sue and under what theory of law will depend on the circumstances in your case. An experienced identity theft attorney can help you seek justice, but you need to act quickly.
Consequences of Identity Theft
Having your money stolen, is just one of the many possible consequences of identity theft. In fact, in some cases, no many is taken but people are harmed in much worse ways. Identity theft can:
- Ruin your credit
- Drain your accounts
- Force you to close or put freezes on your accounts, preventing you from using the money you have left
- Hurt your ability to get a job
- Make it difficult or impossible to get a loan or mortgage
- Give you a criminal record and even get you arrested
- Make you ineligible for college financial aid
- Create false medical records for you, affecting the treatment you receive
- Cause you to be declared dead by the Social Security Administration
- Get you in trouble with the IRS
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Besides the identity thieves themselves, those who may be held liable include:
- Credit bureaus
- Banks
- Business that failed to protect or intentionally leaked your information, such as a hospital, insurance company, or your employer
- Business that processed the fraudulent transaction
- Some government entities
- Identity thief’s employer
There are several theories of law that can apply when suing for identity theft including:
- Negligence
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Breach of contract
- Fraudulent misrepresentation
- Invasion of privacy
- Publication of private facts
- Intentional or unintentional infliction of emotional distress
If you have been a victim of identity theft, talk to an experienced identity theft attorney right away to learn more about your right to compensation, and how to repair your credit and protect yourself from further harm.
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