Identity theft affects New Yorkers across every part of life, from fraudulent accounts to a credit report that no longer reflects the truth. Petroff Amshen LLP represents victims of identity theft when the fraud reaches their credit report and the law has been violated. This is not credit repair. It is the legal route the Fair Credit Reporting Act provides.
How Petroff Amshen Approaches Identity Theft Cases
The firm’s identity theft attorneys review the full credit file and any prior dispute, identify where federal or New York law has been violated, and litigate the claim in state and federal courts. The focus is the reporting consequences of identity theft: fraudulent accounts, unauthorized inquiries, and collection items that appear in a victim’s name. Where the law provides, a Fair Credit Reporting Act claim may seek damages and attorney’s fees. Whether a case exists depends on the specific facts.
What should you do if your identity has been compromised?
Once identity theft is detected, acting early limits the damage and builds the record. The core steps:
Review your credit reports
Request your reports from all three nationwide agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for accounts you did not open and inquiries you did not authorize.
Place a fraud alert or credit freeze
A fraud alert asks creditors to verify identity before issuing credit; you only need to contact one of the three agencies. A credit freeze goes further by blocking new accounts until you lift it.
Report the theft at IdentityTheft.gov
The Federal Trade Commission provides a central place to report identity theft and generate a recovery plan. The report documents the fraud for creditors, banks, and law enforcement.
File a police report if needed
If the theft involves criminal activity in your name, a police report can be important evidence, and some creditors require one to process a fraud claim.
Contact the companies involved
Notify the banks and lenders tied to the fraudulent activity, and ask for written confirmation that fraudulent accounts and charges have been closed or removed.
How does identity misuse reach your credit?
Identity theft can affect a credit report for years. Fraudulent accounts can lead to collection activity and inaccurate reporting, which in turn can affect loans, housing, and in some cases employment. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives a consumer the right to dispute that information, and a legal route when a dispute does not resolve. Petroff Amshen pursues those claims where the law has been violated. The firm names the action the law allows; it does not promise a result.
Authoritative sources: FTC IdentityTheft.gov · 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-2 (blocking)
