[IL] My father stole my inheritance and my identity. What can I do?
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The proper first step now is to hire a civil trial attorney to file a lawsuit against the individual who breached their fiduciary duty to you — in this case, your father.
Here’s a good starting point for you:
🔗 Illinois State Bar Association – Lawyer Referral Service
They can connect you directly with an attorney experienced in civil litigation or fiduciary disputes.
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Can I sue my local police department for refusing to allow me to file an identity theft report?
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Were you a victim of identity theft?
Yes in Illinois.
When did you try to file the report with the police department?
2003, 2004, 2005, and 2022.
Is there anything else the lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured they’ll be able to help with your situation.
Yes.
Thank you for choosing AskALawyer! My name is Jessica, and I’m a licensed attorney who will be assisting you with your question. I’m reviewing your situation and will provide a response momentarily.
I’m very sorry you’re having these issues with identity theft. Is the matter local or across state lines? It’s possible you may have been trying to file with the wrong office.
It’s local. My father stole my inheritance by neglecting to notify me of it and started portraying himself as me since December 1997. I believe I should be suing him for neglect of fiduciary duties toward me — I’ve already tried. Illinois law says I can only file the report within the city where I reside.
Okay, that would actually fall under civil law, not criminal. That’s why the police may not accept your report.
The local police department had me chasing my tail. In 2003, they said I needed to know the bank that held the account. In 2004, they said I needed to know who was committing the crime. In 2005, they said the same thing, even though I explained it was my father. In 2022, the officer said he needed permission from his superiors to let me file, said he’d call — but never did.
The proper first step now is to hire a civil trial attorney to file a lawsuit against the individual who breached their fiduciary duty to you — in this case, your father.
Here’s a good starting point for you:
🔗 Illinois State Bar Association – Lawyer Referral Service
They can connect you directly with an attorney experienced in civil litigation or fiduciary disputes.
The utility companies and banks won’t respond to my identity theft requests without a police report. Other departments say I have everything I need (the bank name, and the person committing the fraud) but can’t let me file because it’s out of their jurisdiction. So… hire a civil attorney? Do you have recommendations? I’ve tried over the years — I even represented myself in a civil case for a while. I’ve written to the Illinois Attorney General (Kwame Raoul) and made two visits to the FBI.
I understand your frustration. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot trying to pursue justice. Hiring a civil attorney is still the most effective path forward here — they can compel discovery, communicate with the agencies on your behalf, and, if necessary, bring a lawsuit for fiduciary breach or fraud.
Ok.
