What kind of protection do I have if I'm a victim of identity theft?

If you’re a victim of identity theft in South Carolina, there are protections offered by the state’s credit card laws. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) gives consumers the right to place a fraud alert on their credit reports if they’ve become a victim of identity theft. Credit reporting agencies must investigate the reported fraud and remove any inaccurate, incomplete, or unverified information from the reports. In addition, FACTA grants victims of identity theft the right to receive a free copy of their credit report. South Carolina also has a Consumer Identity Theft Protection Act, which gives victims the right to block credit reporting agencies from releasing their personal information to third parties. The law further requires creditors to freeze a victim’s credit accounts while the consumer takes steps to resolve the identity theft. Victims of identity theft in South Carolina are also protected against any legal action that could be taken against them for debts or accounts they didn’t authorize. Consumers can dispute the fraudulent charges with their creditors, and can have the affected accounts closed and protected from future charges. In addition, South Carolina’s credit card laws allow identity theft victims to file a police report and obtain a copy of that report, which can be used as evidence when the consumer contacts creditors and credit bureaus to resolve the issue. Finally, South Carolina provides identity theft victims with free information and guidance from the Office of Consumer Affairs, which helps consumers protect and restore their good credit and obtain any necessary legal assistance.

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