2)
Immediately contact the credit card issuers. Get replacement cards with new
account numbers and ask that the old account be processed as “account closed at
consumer’s request” for credit record purposes. Follow up with
a letter to the credit card company that summarizes the request in writing.
3)
Call the fraud units of the three credit reporting bureaus to report the theft.
Ask that the accounts be flagged. Also, add a victim’s statement to the report
requesting contact to verify future credit applications.
•
Equifax Credit Information
Services—
Consumer Fraud DivisionP.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374
Call: (888) 766-0008
Website: www.equifax.com
•
Experian, P.O. Box 2104, Allen, TX 75013-2104
Call:
(888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)Website: www.experian.com
•
Trans Union Fraud Victim
Assistance Department
P.O.
Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834Call: (800) 680-7289
Website: www.transunion.com
4)
Notify the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General if the
Social Security number has been used fraudulently.
5)
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
By phone:Toll-free 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338),
TDD 202-326-2502
• By mail: Consumer Response Center, Federal
Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20580
• Website: www.consumer.gov/idtheft
• For consumer information: www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.htm
For More Information
To
file a complaint or get free information about consumer issues from the Federal
Trade Commission:• Phone: 1-877-382-4357
• TTY: 1-866-653-4261
• Internet: ftc.gov
• Free annual credit report: www.annualreport.com
Credit Counselors
Most
credit counselors offer services through local offices, the internet, or on the
telephone. Many universities, military bases, credit unions, housing
authorities, and branches of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service operate
nonprofit credit counseling programs. A financial institution or local consumer
protection agency may
also be good sources of information and referrals.
Choosing a Credit Counseling
Organization
Reputable
credit counseling organizations
advise on managing money and debts,
help develop
a budget, and usually offer free educational materials
and workshops. Counselors are certified and trained in the areas of consumer
credit, money and debt management and budgeting. Counselors discuss the
person’s entire financial situation
and help develop a personalized plan. A reputable credit counseling agency should
send free information about the services it provides without requiring any
details about the individual’s situation. If
a firm doesn’t do that, consider it a red flag and go elsewhere for help. Check
out potential credit counseling agencies with the state Attorney General, local
consumer protection agency, and Better Business Bureau.
Debt Management Plan (DMP) How a DMP Works
Money
is deposited each month with the credit counseling organization. The
organization uses the deposits to pay unsecured debts, such as credit card
bills, student loans, and medical bills, according to a planned payment
schedule. Creditors may agree to lower interest rates and waive certain fees,
but check with all the creditors
to be sure that they offer the concessions that a credit counseling
organization describes. A successful DMP requires regular, timely payments and
could take 48 months or longer to complete. Avoid organizations that push a DMP
as the only option before they do an analysis of the individual’s financial
situation.
Debt Negotiation Programs
Debt
negotiation is not the same thing as credit counseling or a DMP. It can be
risky and have a negative impact on the individual’s credit report. Many states
have laws regulating debt negotiation companies and the services
they offer. Just because a debt negotiation company describes itself as a
“nonprofit” organization, there’s no guarantee that the services offered are
legitimate. Most debt negotiation companies charge consumers substantial fees
for their services, including a fee to establish the account with the debt
negotiator, a monthly service fee, and a final fee of a percentage of the money
supposedly saved.
Tip-Offs
Be
careful of debt negotiation companies that:• Guarantee they can remove unsecured debt.
• Promise that unsecured debts can be paid off with pennies on the dollar.
• Require substantial monthly service fees.
• Demand payment of a percentage of savings.
• Tell the individual to stop making payments or communicating with creditors.
• Require the individual to make monthly payments to them rather than the creditor.
• Claim that creditors never sue consumers for non-payment of unsecured debt.
• Promise that using their system will have no negative impact on the individual’s credit report.
• Claim that they can remove accurate negative information from the individual’s credit report.
Protect Yourself
•
Never provide personal
financial information over the phone or internet if you did not initiate the
contact. Instead, call the company yourself for verification.• Do not be intimidated by an email or phone call. Any communication suggesting dire consequences for failing to provide or verify financial information should be ignored.
• Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, contact the lending institution immediately.
• Don’t fall for an IRS imposter. The IRS does not send out unsolicited emails asking for personal information.
This
article contains general information for taxpayers and should not be relied
upon as the only source of authority. Taxpayers should seek professional tax
advice for more information or contact Advance Tax Relief LLC
Noah Daniels, EA is the President of Advance Tax Relief LLC based in Houston, TX. Noah is very experienced in representing taxpayers before the examinations, collections and appeals divisions of the IRS and various state taxing authorities. Noah has helped hundreds of taxpayers nationwide resolve their tax problems with the IRS saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in back-taxes, penalties and interest and the number keeps rising. He also speaks at various local organizations educating the public on how to handle their IRS tax problems, small business credits and tax compliance issues. For speaking engagements or for tax related questions email noah.daniels@advancetaxrelief.com.
ADVANCE TAX RELIEF LLC - "WE SOLVE TAX PROBLEMS"
8449 W. BELLFORT, SUITE 356
HOUSTON, TX 77071
Phone: (713)300-3965, (800)790-8574
BBB
Accredited Business
Like our facebook page to receive
free tax planning tips: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ADVANCE-TAX-RELIEF-LLC/159880007482847?ref=stream
Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/IRSTAXPRO
Advance Tax Relief on BBB: http://www.bbb.org/houston/business-reviews/taxes-consultants-and-representatives/advance-tax-relief-llc-in-houston-tx-90024857
Links
Keywords:
back taxes help, federal tax lien
help, file back taxes, handle auditor, handle auditors, help with IRS, IRS
audit help, IRS bankrupcy, IRS bankruptcy, IRS letters, IRS levys, IRS liens,
IRS tax consultants, lawyer to help with tax problems, letter from the IRS,
www.advancetaxrelief.net, irs.gov, taxmasters, txmstr.com, jk harris, ronnie
deuth, patrick cox, barack obama, george bush, politics, democratic party,
republican party, tax reform, advancetaxrelief.com, tax attorney
No comments:
Post a Comment