For victims of identity theft, it can be incredibly upsetting to navigate the aftermath. You may feel isolated and unsure of where to turn to recover. Unfortunately, the impact of identity theft can take a toll on your life, impacting you chronically, both financially and emotionally. To make matters worse, identity thieves can be incredibly hard to locate due to their sophisticated technological skills. However, if the person responsible for using your identity is located, understanding the consequences they can face for the crimes they are convicted of is critical. The following blog explores what you should know about the consequences and the importance of working with a Michigan identity theft lawyer to help you fight for the justice you deserve.
What Constitutes Identity Theft in Michigan?
Identity theft occurs any time that someone’s personal information is used by another party to commit fraud or crimes. Typically, this fraud includes opening accounts, making large purchases, receiving medical care, and even obtaining someone else’s tax returns. In other instances, your information can be used when someone is arrested for a crime, meaning you can end up with a criminal record.
Typically, the information used includes your full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and Social Security number. However, login details and credit cards can also be usurped to commit criminal offenses.
Often, thieves obtain these sensitive details through several scams and schemes. For example, data breaches, hacking, physical theft, mail theft, and charity scams are all ways in which a thief can access your personal information to use for their own gain.
What Consequences Can Identity Thieves Face When Convicted?
As mentioned, due to the nature of identity theft, locating identity thieves can be difficult. However, if they are located and charged, it’s important to understand the penalties they can face for their actions. In Michigan, the charges the accused can face will depend on the circumstances of the offense. Generally, this is a felony offense, and a first offense charge carries up to five years in jail and the potential for up to $25,000 in fines.
However, on top of the state-imposed sanctions they can face, the identity thief responsible for using your identity can also face civil consequences for their actions. This means you have the right to file a lawsuit against them to recover any damages you have lost as a result of their actions. In most instances, this includes economic damages, like increased interest rates, debt accumulated in your name, and legal fees to fight any debt lawsuits caused by the theft. However, you can also seek legal damages for humiliation, anxiety, depression, and stress caused by the identity theft.
As you can see, Pennsylvania takes identity theft very seriously. However, it’s important to ensure you can fight for the compensation you deserve. At Lyngklip & Associates, our dedicated legal team will do everything in our power to help you fight for the justice you deserve. Contact us today to learn more.
