Credit cards are a great way to conveniently make purchases at stores, restaurants, and other businesses.  But, they are also highly vulnerable to thieves who are constantly looking for credit card information so that they may use the information to make fraudulent purchases on the accounts of unsuspecting consumers.

Consumers have the right to hold businesses accountable for the proper use and disposal of sensitive personal information, particularly credit card information.

Bad Business Practices Can Lead to Identity Theft 

Businesses should be careful with credit card information by treating the credit card number, expiration date and customer name as confidential information.  The physical receipts should be secure and not contain whole card numbers, expiration dates or other private personal information.  If a business fails to do so, it may be in violation of Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act and you may be entitled to up to $1,000 in statutory damages.

Businesses must carefully safeguard the credit card information of their customers to protect the customers from identity theft.  Businesses that fail to follow FACTA by printing out entire credit card receipts or the expiration dates of credit cards may face legal liability for violating the law.

FACTA allows consumers to obtain free credit reports, place fraud alerts with consumer reporting agencies, and block fraudulent activity from appearing on credit reports should any fraudulent activity occur as a result of an identity theft. 

FACTA Also Protects Consumers From Improper Disposal of Consumer Reports

FACTA also protects consumers from the risk of identity theft resulting from improper disposal of consumer reports.  Under federal rules, businesses, like banks, employers or landlords, who may obtain consumer reports that contain sensitive personal information must be careful in how they handle the reports.  These businesses must not dispose of the reports casually, such as by throwing them in the trash.  The reports must be shredded so that the information cannot end up in the hands of an identity thief or someone else who is unauthorized to have the information.  Businesses should also then erase electronic copies of these reports as well so that they are not misused in the future.

Contact a Skilled and Experienced Attorney For Help Now 

If you have questions about legal rights about identity theft and your rights under Federal or state law, you should contact an attorney right away to make sure your rights are upheld. 

Contact the Keogh law firm to get knowledgeable legal advice from experienced attorneys in consumer protection in the area of identity theft.