How to Deal With Credit Card Fraud

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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 2:57 pm
Post subject: How to Deal With Credit Card Fraud
Chris Boysen
Date: 10/3/2000 4:25 pm CDT

I received a phone call from a collection agency recently. They were calling regarding a credit card that had been opened in my name, charged to the max, and never paid. After further investigation on my part, I discovered that the card had been opened by a former business partner of mine using my social security number and name. I contacted AmEx with this information, but they washed their hands of it because they had already passed the account to the collection agency.

I told the collection agency that this card was not mine, but they continued to call and harrass because my name was the only one on the account. They said that they did not have the authority to switch the debt into the offendor's name instead of mine. I worked with the collection agency to pay them part of what was owed by collecting from my former business partner and forwarding payments to them.

These payments from my former business partner stopped however, and at this point, I believe that the debt has been written off by the collection agency. I am fearful of what this will do to my otherwise clean credit record.

I am currently looking into getting an attorney to assist. What advice can you give me as far as recourse that I have with the credit card company, collection agency and the former business partner. My obvious ultimate goal is to keep my credit record clean.

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archive
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 2:57 pm
Post subject: How to Deal With Credit Card Fraud

Board Monitor - CA
Date: 10/8/2000 4:29 pm CDT

Chris,

Thanks for the post! Sorrry to hear about your dilemna. Unfortunately, it is an all to common one. My first question for you is have you taken a look at your credit report recently? I assume you have and that this activity is still on your report, but wanted to verify this. If nothing is showing up on your report, then I don't think you have much to worry about at this point. Let me point out, however, that I am not an expert in the field of "credit repair/protection".

The following web sites may be helpful:

http://www.creditmania.com/poorcr.htm
This site has some useful info. regarding credit repair/protection that you may find to be of interest:

http://www.verifyfraud.com/identitytheft/

This site contains suggestions on what consumers can do if they become a victim of identity theft.

Hope this helps!

Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
CFCCT P.R. Director
http://www.cardratings.org