Ali Zane has been phenomenal in helping me to understand what would be the best strategy in handling my unique credit situation and has given me honest knowledge and expertise... read more
Mary P.7/12/2024
When initially calling on a Wednesday, I spoke with a gentleman named Juan Regarding closed/charged off accounts on my credit report. He was very professional, and walked me through... read more
Robert G.4/05/2024
Ali and his team are the best. Not only are they sweet and professional they really keep you updated throughout the process. They have helped me twice my entire life... read more
Judith Shenelle G.12/24/2023
I reached out to Ali Zane several months ago and he is the real deal. I am super satisfied with his expertise and he has earned my trust. Don't waste... read more
Tim A.10/08/2022
I've had the good fortune of being assisted by Ali in the past & would HIGHLY recommend him & his associates.
William V.7/22/2022
Ali is the best! He really takes his time explaining to you how you can fix your credit. A family member recommended him to me and he didn't disappoint. Building/fixing... read more
Denise K.1/21/2022
I was referred to IMAX credit by another credit repair firm in regards to removing late payments that were on my account. I scheduled a free consultation with Ali. Ali... read more
Jarred M.5/29/2021
Ali and Samantha are the best team! My credit score was stunned last year and I spent months working with the bank myself without a result. I was... read more
Rose Y.5/05/2021
Ali is amazing! Ali and Samantha were able to restore my FICO score to where the score should have been all along. I had one small ding due to an... read more
Dane B.3/31/2021
I moved and unintentionally missed my final utility bill. A few months later a late payment popped on my credit report. I consulted with Ali. He was... read more
Daniel K.3/04/2021
How To Repair Credit After Identity Theft and Fraud (in 2024)
This article will teach you my proprietary 3 stage process to delete identity theft and fraudulent accounts from credit reports.
I’ve perfected this method over the last 20 years as an identity theft victim advocate at Imax Credit Repair while dealing with hundreds of cases and even helped win my clients money for damages under the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s identity theft provisions.
So here is what the process entails:
Stage 1- Declaring yourself a victim of identity theft with the federal and local authorities
Stage 2. Engaging the credit bureaus and creditors
Stage 3: Protecting your credit from future ID Theft.
All you have to do is follow the steps , if the credit bureaus don’t delete, then you’re likely to win monetary damages with my help and also get your credit repaired.
But first lest start with the basics
What is Identity Theft and How Does it Happen?
Simply put identity theft relates to an identity thief either fraudulently opening new accounts using a victims name or fraudulently putting charges on victim’s pre-existing revolving accounts, such as credit card accounts.
These thieves may also forge identification cards and SSN cards so they can physically walk into a car dealership or a cell phone location to make purchases.
READ MORE: 4 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score, Fast
Sometimes the people responsible for these fraudulent acts are ex-roommates, ex-spouses or estranged family members. It could also be someone who found a lost wallet with an ID and SSN and decided to use it.
However, in most cases ID theft cases are from criminal identity theft rings . They hack into big banks and credit bureaus to extract the personal information, including credit card#s, Social Security numbers of thousands of people and then start obtaining credit in their name.
What to do About Identity Theft And How to Fix It
The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) has provisions for identity theft victims, but if you don’t follow the steps below then credit bureaus and creditors have every right to reject your fraudulent activity claim. Here are 8 Steps in my carefully crafted program that will remove any fraudulent items from your credit report.
The 8 Steps to Removing Fraudulent Items from Your Credit Report
STEP 1 – Filing the FTC Identity Theft Affidavit
The first step to dealing with identity theft is lodging an affidavit at the Federal Trade Commission’s website. Make sure you include account numbers from your credit report, opening dates, and amounts involved in order for it to be accepted as a legitimate fraud/identity theft claim! The creditor may also reject this form if completed incorrectly or missing some details – beware of these potential snags before filing anything online.
STEP 2 – Filing an Identity Theft Police Report
Next, you will file a police report for identity theft with the local police department. Make sure to take your ID and credit report if this is an in-person filing so that it can be entered on their website or submitted via email as well. Similarly, you should list each fraudulent account by creditor name/account number (e.g., “Card Number”), date opened, outstanding balance at the time of fraud — just like we did above while filling out our application forms!
STEP 3 – Preparing & Sending the Credit Bureau Identity Theft Dispute Letter
To dispute the fraudulent credit accounts, inquiries, and personal information with your credit bureaus you can use this FCRA compliant letter that requires them to act within 30 days of receipt. Below is a guide on what steps should be taken when customizing it:
A) How to dispute fraudulent and identity theft-related items:
In the event the account was opened by an identity thief then you can use “account fraudulently opened “as the dispute reason.
In the event an account opened by you incurred fraudulent charges, then you can use “account incurred fraudulent charges” as the dispute reason.
B) How and why to Put a Fraud Alert on your credit report:
Put in your cell phone number at the top of the letter and request that a Fraud Alert be put on your credit report. This will trigger a phone call to your cell phone anytime someone tries to apply for credit.
C) Where to mail the credit bureau identity theft dispute letters:
Experian Identity Theft:
National Fraud Victims Assistance
P.O Box 9554
Allen TX 3037
Equifax Identity Theft:
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O Box 740256
Atlanta GA 3037
Transunion Identity Theft:
Fraud Victims Assistance
P.O Box 2000, Chester PA 19016
D) What to include with the Identity Theft Credit Bureau Dispute Letters:
- ID card copy
- Social Security card copy
- Utility bill copy
- Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Report
- Filed Police Identity Theft Copy
STEP 4 – Disputing Identity Theft Accounts with the Creditors Directly
You’ll need to do the following for each of the fraudulent accounts:
A) Contact each Creditor
Call each of the creditors, tell them you’re a fraud victim, ask for their fraud dept. Inquire where you can submit identity theft claim documents and what is the identity theft recovery process. They may give you a fax number, email address, or mailing address.
B) Send Each Creditor the following documents
- Cover Sheet with your bank statements describing the event
- ID card copy
- Social Security card copy
- Utility bill copy
- Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Report
- Filed Police Identity Theft Copy
C) Submit and Wait
Wait 30 days for the creditors to investigate the claim and make a decision.
STEP 5 – What To Do if the Credit Bureaus and Creditors Fail to Remove the Fraudulent Information
It’s easy to get the credit repair you deserve. All it takes is filling a few reports and providing all of your documentation, but if that’s not enough- there are other ways for consumers like yourself who have been victims in identity theft cases can take action against their abusers by lodging complaints with regulatory agencies or courts directly through various consumer protection organizations such as The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
You’ll also be able to file disputes regarding 3 major bureaus: Experian®, Equifax®, TransUnion®, and creditors themselves! If any party fails/refuses to comply then they will receive an official response addressed specifically towards them which could entail anything from coupons off future.
STEP 6 – Preventing and Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft in the Future
Next, you may request the credit bureaus to freeze or lock your report so that no creditor can access it while you’re looking for a new place. If you apply for any more loans in the future, be sure to have your report unlocked in order to get at least some information about what type of debtors are good risks before deciding which company will work best based on those criteria, this way nothing holds anybody back!
Similar read: Credit report freeze letter template word
Where to get your Credit Locks:
- Experian.com: Their free credit monitoring service allows you to instantly lock and unlock your Experian report.
- Transunion.com: Their monthly paid credit monitoring service allows instant locks and unlocks Equifax and Transunion.
STEP 7 – Reviewing Other Identity Theft Resource Centers (Optional)
- IRS And Tax Fraud: Contact the Internal Revenue Service Fraud Department or call their Fraud Hotline at 800-829-0433.
Also, reach out to the income tax board in your state.
- Passport Fraud or theft: If your Passport was used in identity theft, contact the U.S. State Department, Passport Services Department.
- If your mail has been stolen: contact the USPS Inspector General
- SSN Fraudulent Use For Employment: If someone is employed under your SSN then you may want to lodge a complaint with the Office of Inspector General at the Social Security Administration.
STEP 8 – Consider getting a new Social Security Number: (Optional)
The Social Security Administration has a fraud hotline, and if you can’t get them to take care of your identity theft-related issues then after going up the chain of command they might agree on issuing a new SSN for you.
After this is done make sure three credit bureaus transfer all valid information from the old credit file into a new one–just call The Fraud Hotline below: 1-800-269-0271
If you’re stuck, reach out to me personally ( you may be entitled to money ! )
If the above steps don’t work or if you simply don’t want to do this yourself
then reach out to me me.
My associate attorneys and I have help numerous identity theft client have restored their credit and even won them thousands of dollars under the Fair Credit Reporting Act identity theft victims rules. Simply check out my yelp reviews.
Click the link below for a consult
OR for questions email me directly at [email protected]
20 Comments. Leave new
I am writing this as I’ve been a victim of identity theft, someone opened $50k worth of credit limits in my name and I never authorized it. Discover and American Express claim I am responsible and they don’t want to accept my FTC affidavit and police reports. what can I do .
Hi Raj, sorry to hear about this. This is a common problem where creditors are not believing clients and even police reports. The issue is arrising from the fact that majority of ppl are filing identity theft claims on acocunts that legitimately belong to them . So due to this lenders automatically think all identity theft claims are false. However, it seems you’re a legtiimate identity theft victim.
We should be able to help and our associate attorneys will be able to sue the creditors, and prove these accounts are not yours, by possible getting hand writing experts to recognize forged signatures.
Also the good news is you may be entitled to some money.
You can setup a consult with our team her and we can get the ball rolling: https://www.imaxcredit.com/consultation/
There’s a car loan on my credit report from Ally Financial which was due to identity theft I submitted disputes notifying then it was not me, I don’t recognize the debt and still they continue to report it. Now in collections/ charge off status. Don’t know what else to do this is from 2017.
Hi Megan, we specialize in such issues, please shoot me an email at [email protected] and we can pick up the conversation there.
So me and my husband got our identities stolen, and someone opened up fraud credit cards with Discover , Barclays and Synchrony Bank. We’ve filed police reports already but nothing has been working and the credit bureaus just deny our claims
Hi Ms Bre, nowadays there are a lot of people falsely claiming id theft, therefore credit bureaus are tightening up and trying to call bluffs. But it seems you’re a legitimate victim of id theft, we should be able to help, as I have associate attorneys that can sue on your behalf and even get you some money back.
Please email me directly at [email protected]
Hi Ali, basically my identity was stolen, I suspect it was from a car break in. The identity thieves opened up numerous credit cards with Citi Bank, Capital One, Discover and Barclays. I was told by the creditors to file a police report and an FTC report, which I did and sent to them.
However nothing happened. What can I do?
Hi Jason, basically the creditors are taking the position that the facts presented to them are not accurate. The problem is a lot of credit repair companies are making false Identity theft claims, and lenders therefore think everyone is making false claims.
Now for someone like yourself our success rate with ID theft victims is 100%, as what we do is get forensic experts involved including hand writing experts and we can also track what computer or location the accounts were started from. then our associate attorneys sue the creditors and bureaus, and even may get you some money back.
Feel free to email me at [email protected]
I I was a victim of identity theft, following my divorce, where my ex-husband opened up $30k worth of accounts in my name. I had hired numerous credit repair companies and all promised results and charged me without removing anything. What Can I do ?
Hi Amy, I’m saddened to hear about this, the identity theft and you being cheated out of money from credit repair companies.
Identity theft victims have a lot of help under the FCRA and lenders can be sued for not complying with the protections given to ID theft victims.
And as for credit repair companies go, make sure only to hire companies that only charge you after results.
In any case, if you’re seeking help, I’ll be glad to provide you a free consult, feel free to email me at [email protected]
I was a victim of fraud and identity theft, there’s been over $100k of fraudulent activity on my credit report.
Someone stole my identity and opened these accounts up last year.
I’ve filed a police report, id theft report and (federal trade commission report) FTC report.
Barclays, Capital One, American Express, Comenity and Synchorny Bank all refused to remove the fraudulent accounts
I’ve tried 2 credit repair companies too, and none helped, can you do anything ?
Hi Jerry, so sorry to hear about this issue. Unfortunately banks think everyone’s fraud claim is not a valid claim.
My associate attorneys however have nearly a 100% success rate in getting fraudulent accounts off.
Do email me at [email protected] .
Basically someone got an auto loan and $40k worth of credit cards in my name.
I’ve filed police reports and FTC reports and nothing has worked.
The creditors, American Express, Citibank, Merricks and Santander come back to me and state the items are valid
I’m beyond frustrated that no one is taking my fraud identity theft claim seriously.
I’m unable to even rent a home due to this.
What is my next step
Hi Bernie, I can empathize with you, as years ago I also was an identity theft victim.
So what’s happening now is that a lot of people are making frivolous identity theft claims , and the creditors therefore incorrectly assume that all these claims are frivolous.
However the good news is that if you’re a victim of identity theft, there is 100% chance we’d be able to get these removed.
Please email me directly at [email protected]
Dear Mr. Zane,
I hope you can help me. I have had a lot of unauthorized activity in my credit reports following a fraud experience but the symptoms are neither those of a Mixed File or Identity Theft. No unauthorized accounts are on my report. My problems stem from tons of unauthorized activity by the credit bureaus! They keep investigating my accounts which I have never disputed, then putting adverse dispute comments. My score is going up and down like a yo-yo. Also, they are reporting false information from my creditors. On 2 accounts, they reported my creditors increased, then decreased my credit lim its. Neither creditor did this or reported such a thing to the bureaus. So, where did they get this information?? I had an 850 credit score with Transunion in August which is currently 730 despite no negative information on my account during this time. I don’t know what’s wrong or what to do! It just took me 3 years and 30 letters to get two pieces of inaccurate info off my reports. Now I have 45-60 error per bureau to get corrected!! I’m afraid this has permanent; destroyed my credit. What is happening? Have you heard of this type of problem before? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would hire you to help me with this. It’s too much for me to handle. Is that an option?
Hi Julie, this is quite a common problem as of late, related to unauthorized activity on credit reports.
Please shoot me an email directly at [email protected] and I can let you know what we need to do
Nate Smith, My credit file is in complete disrepair due to identity theft Can you help????????????
Hi Nate, we specialize in this, I just shot you an email
I had paid non-stop and on time, and a new late payment with Chase came on.
What can I do?
Chase is a tough creditor , do reach out to me and we can go over what we can do to help