I just got a collections notice for $46,446.25

[Control-Z]

The U.S Dept of Education has placed my defaulted student loan account with a collections agency - except the loan
is not mine.

I also have 3 other collection notices in the amounts of $6,659.01, $7,135.53 and $811.78 and various other bills all belonging to a woman whose name is identical to mine with the exception of one letter. This has been going on for more than 7 years now.

It started when a very mean man called my home threatening to repossess my Ford Taurus. He wouldn't take no for an answer when I told him I didn't own a Ford Taurus. It was horrifying. The Internal Revenue Service has sent me letters asking me to verify my SS number in her name. I have followed through with the paper work to prove I am not she. I have returned her mail with the post office but it keeps coming back to my address. My credit report is completely - well - you know.

Shit, shit, shit. Who has time to deal with this kind of garbage? I didn't sleep all night trying to figure out how I was going to juggle work, kids, school...and that was before the notice. My mortgage is due to adjust up. I need to refi. Fuck.

[specimenfred1984]

1. Send Collections Agency a Bill

with a time they must respond or else they'll owe you whatever you decide to charge them. The bill will be for their unlawful harassment and misidentification of you and you will also be charging them for any future legal expenses incurred.

[Control-Z]

2. Can you tell me a little more?

Please? Did I need to have given them prior notice? Other than having returned their bills to the Post Office? Do I bill them them straight out for misidentification and unlawful harassment? Can I do that? Seriously? And for how much? Or is it just a threat?

[pitohui]

4. unfortunately that is probably not true

you need an attorney, not internet B.S.

don't put yourself in the wrong when you are completely in the right

[specimenfred1984]

20. It's a threat, but it is legal

If they can send you, the wrong person a bill, why in hell is it legal? Answer, it's not. So, send them a bill for improperly identifying you and make them prove it's you, IN WRITING.

Make them respond by a certain date or else they owe you money. It IS JUST AS LEGAL as what they are doing to you.

Then send the idiot a bill who says you need an attorney, bill them for attorney fees.

[pitohui]

3. you need an attorney

it's possible this woman was using your identity or close enough for years, as in she sought out someone w. a similar name and started using your address, information, etc.

be that as it may, i think you need professional help, 7 years is too long and you have everything to lose if you don't get this fixed

[bridgit]

6. correct, my idiot x & his girlfriend made great sport of me once and...

it took years of legal action to even begin to straighten t all out

[Control-Z]

10. I keep thinking he'll grow up

A few years back my checking account bounced sky high. I couldn't figure it out. My car had broken down. Things were dire. I was scrapping the barrel and being oh so careful. I come to find the future ex had rented a car for one of his girl friends. $1,500.00 had come out of the checking account for it. Boom! No notice. There I was with three kids, no car while ONE of his girlfriends was driving around in a rented car. Not only did it deplete the account it cost me an additional $600.00 in fees.

So about 2 months later I get this notice in the mail for a toll road violation. I'm thinking "I don't remember driving the toll road". And if I had I wouldn't have done it without paying first. Then it hits me. Bimbo in the rented car drove on the toll road. I had to pay her effing ticket.:grr:

[bridgit]

13. sure honey, grow up & into a fully grown asshole, your post below...

sent a chill up my spine cause that is what he had done...got into my stuff when not looking, plus intercepted some other key pieces of data and BAM!

big ole shit sammich x(

you're doing the right thing by beginning to cross reference everything, it's a pain in the ass & will give you headaches, but that was how i began to internalize what had actually happened

in the end, you will be the one prepared, and that will be seen as important as you begin to marshal your own affairs, document everything, consult an attorney, and lock it all into a time-line is my thought :thumbsup: :hi:

[Control-Z]

23. Wow, bridgit

Thank you.

It is messages like yours that make me strong. Not so long ago I was too ashamed to admit I was married to this Narcissistic piece of crap. Like his evil was somehow my fault. I can't wait for the day when I never have to see his face again.

It is taking me far too long and you are right about the headaches but, yep, I am planning the great escape.

[Control-Z]

7. It sounds pretty bad, doesn't it.

It is so exhausting. I can barely keep up. Like I'm looking at one of the notices and trying to cross reference it to my future ex's credit report and I'm wondering if maybe there is something he opened for one of his girlfriends and then didn't pay. It could be, possibly, maybe. So then they slap my/phantom woman's name on it. Who knows. I know the student loan does not belong to the husband or any of his girlfriends. I know most of the ones that have phantom woman's name on them do rightly belong to her but I'm not sure what on the credit reports rightly belong to whom. Oh holy fuck. Just shoot me. By the time I pay a lawyer I'm screwed anyway.

[pitohui]

11. another suggestion

you should still try to find a way to get an attorney but you should also try writing your congresscritter and explaining the problem, seriously

even if he/she is a shithead, then their office may be able to offer some help w. something like this -- it's a bi partisan type problem where they can prove their usefulness to the voter

even tho i am a democrat when i made a complaint of a problem (long story) to bob livingston (long OLD story, obviously) his office did investigate and try to help

i strongly suspect "phantom woman" is some kind of illegal, convict, or some other reason she can't use her own identity, so she has assumed yours and found it a great way to go thru life w.out paying her bills -- but i don't see how you could possibly locate her by yourself -- you certainly can't confront or arrest her by yourself

someone knows who this woman is who went to school in your name/address/phone, bought a ford in your name/address, etcetera, but you will need help finding out and getting her prosecuted

[Control-Z]

15. I honestly never thought

it was anything more than a mistake before now. Would I be out of place to suggest that she is using my name? I don't want to accuse someone who is just down on their luck. Like I said, I have never looked at it from that angle before.

[pitohui]

25. she's using your address and other identifying features

there is really no way this is an innocent mistake, is it?

your address, phone number, etc. didn't get on all those loans and credit applications because, oops, she forgot her own address in a moment of alzheimer's and so decided of all the people in the world to pick someone whose name was marvelously close to hers

[Control-Z]

27. You are probably right

and I'm beginning to feel a little foolish. I think I may take your suggestion and try to have this woman investigated before I spend money on a lawyer. It can't hurt to try.

Damn, if this is intentional...I don't even know what to say...damn

[u4ic]

5. Yikes, dancingAlone!

:-(


I have no advice, as laws/practices may be different in our respective countries. Just lots of :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Control-Z]

8. Thanks, u4ic

I needed those hugs tonight.:loveya:

I was about to go over and check on you. How are you doing tonight?

[u4ic]

19. A bit stressed, today

the dr thinks my father may have suffered a stroke which led to his fall and injuries.

One hears all the time about broken hips and the elderly, I wonder if broken ribs would be the same?

Things seem to naturally be falling on my shoulders, and I don't want that. I'm going to have to have a good talk with all of my siblings to make that very clear.

I was reading about your experiences in the above posts. I'm sorry, hon. You are one that definitely does not deserve any of it. :( :hug:

[Control-Z]

22. Thanks for your kinds thoughts.

I'm not sure what I deserve but I feel pretty lucky to have found DU and friends like you.:loveya:

I am sorry things are falling so heavily on you right now. I understand that caring for an aging parent can be heartbreaking and difficult on many levels. You are wise to ask your siblings for help. I just hope you can be firm with them about it. Taking care of yourself is so important but sometimes easy to forget.

I hope your dad is improving and that today was a better day for you.

I'm sending you a few extra hugs just in case you need them tonight.:hug: :hug: :hug:

[u4ic]

24. Thanks, hon

:hug:

I talked to one of my sisters today, who was very understanding about the whole thing. My father is on a waiting list for a senior's residence anyway (what kind of a wait, we don't know), so it's just for the time being.

You, and everyone else here in the Lounge have been so wonderful.:loveya:

How are you holding up? Any luck? Have you made any calls, got any information? I think you are really in need of those extra hugs, too :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:



:loveya:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. Down in Laguna Niguel

is an attorney by the name of Mari Frank. She has done radio shows on KUCC about identity theft. I have no idea what her fees are but it can't hurt to call her.

[Control-Z]

12. Hey, that's local!

I'll give her a call in the morning. Just knowing there's a chance of getting some help with this will make it easier to sleep tonight. Thank you. I really appreciate it.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. No worries - hope it is of help

Have you ever contacted the police about this? Most OC agencies have white collar crimes divisions.

[Control-Z]

16. I had never considered it a crime

Just an unfortunate mistake.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. If someone is actually using your SS# and it sounds like they may be

it is a crime - identity theft

[Shine]

18. That totally SUCKS!! I'm really sorry to hear this news.

I wish there was something brilliant I could say, in terms of advice or whatever. The best I can do is offer my moral support and send along a :hug:

Hang in there, sister!

[Control-Z]

26. Thanks, Shine.

I appreciate the support.

[gkdmaths]

21. the same thing happened to my GF

several years ago. about a year into the phone calls and threats I started threatening back. I just told the little weasel who kept telling us our lives were over that he should "go *%#$& his mother and that he should do some &%^$#ing research before harrassing poeple with *%&$#ing credit scores of better than *$%&ing 750" and that he should "go to hell". I gave him our names and address and asked him or his minion to come visit, if of course he didnt mind a nice stiff noogie for being stupid when he got there.

They never called back. It might work with you?

Good luck!

[Control-Z]

28. That is sort of how I stopped the

phone calls about the car repo 7 years ago. I thought that was the end of it. Apparently I was wrong.

[BlueIris]

29. That happened to me once in college, although it never went this far.

I only had to tell the collections people looking for a different woman that I wasn't her, (apparently, she had an extremely similar name and had lived in my apartment previously) and they stopped calling. I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this crap, though--it's outrageous.

[Rosemary2205]

30. Call the cops and call an attorney.

File a police report for fraud. Call an attorney because you don't want to deal with the IRS and Sallie Mae without one.

Betcha you won't have any problem on the refi -- your documentation is good and the attorney and police report will show you are legit.

[IsIt1984Yet]

31. Do something quick

USDOE can start wage garnishment without a court order.

Good luck working this out. :hug: