how to remove a collection for something I don't owe

When the security number is yours and all documents indicate that you're the person who borrowed, then I suppose that it is your responsibility to payoff the debt.

If you have spoken to them and basically admitted you were aware of your roommates actions, I wouldn't think there was anything you could do now to deny you knew what your roommate had done.

If you honestly hadn't known what your roommate had done (identity theft) you would have to file a police report, have fraud alerts put on your credit files, and proceed with legal action "if" they ever caught the person. At least that is what a coworker in a similar situation had to do.

Who paid the bills? You or your roommate? Iy you were writing the checks to AT&T it would be hard to deny the debt. If you still have old statements, go back thru them and see if you were covered by the in line service plan which should have covered the lightning strike. Was this in an apartment or house? If an apartment, that should have been taken care of by the property managemnt company. As for the modem, are they claiming they sent you one? Make them prove it.

Well, I will ignore the fact that my roommate opened the account, the point was they claimed I signed a contract and I never did, and they didn't verify who I was.
It was an apartment that the lightning struke, but the managment has changed since then. BTW I am in ATL. I have had this collection on my name for quite a while, they sent it to a collections agency and claimed they would take it to court. I have been waiting for a summons and never received it. I want to go to court and fight it, but don't know if they even filed a claim.