Identity Theft and Credit Reporting Errors

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers two things: the right to a credit report that is accurate, and the right to a dispute process that actually works. When someone steals an identity, when a debt that was paid off keeps reappearing, when a deceased relative shows as alive on a credit file, or when two consumers’ files get mixed because of similar names or Social Security numbers, the harm is real. Credit denials, higher interest rates, declined apartment applications, lost employment opportunities. And in most cases, the consumer disputed the error through the proper channels and the credit bureaus refused to correct it, or said the furnisher verified the bad information without doing a real investigation.

The FCRA provides remedies when this happens. The credit bureau, the data furnisher, or both, can be held liable for actual damages, statutory damages in willful violations, and attorneys’ fees. The standard is not whether the consumer was annoyed. The standard is whether the bureau or furnisher failed to follow procedures the law actually requires when a consumer disputes information.

Transcendens handles identity theft and credit reporting cases for Georgia consumers. The work starts with the dispute trail: what was disputed, when, what the bureau and furnisher did in response, and what damage the inaccurate report caused. Identity theft cases also involve coordinating with law enforcement reports, the FTC identity theft affidavit, and the steps required under the FCRA to trigger statutory protections. Most credit reporting cases settle for damages plus correction; the ones that do not produce strong trial records.