Got a call from a collection agency on a loan I didn't make

Hi Lomotil, your post makes me very alert about the personal information, like the ssn#, checking account info etc if they go into the wrong hands. I feel that this can be the case of an identity theft and you need to be very cautious about your info. Have you filed a police complaint after knowing this incidence? Be pro-active and put a fraud alert in your file. You've to contact the fraud dept of the three credit bureaus. Then contact the loan company and explain that your personal info was fraudulently used by someone who did this crime. Show them proof of all the actions taken to unveil this suspicious activity. Get everything documented from the lender so that you can show as proof to the collector involved. Keep copies of your correspondence, records of your telephone calls and other documents verifying your efforts to correct the problem.

The thief who has got your social security number has your most important information. When any financial institution issues new credit to someone, they do a compulsory credit check in the person????????s name. The credit bureau will not allow this inquiry done by the financial institution without a social security number.

The social security administration will not fix your problems of the identity theft. They recommend working with each credit bureau, creditor, employer and government agency who are involved to remove the inaccurate information from your records, and then keep a constant watch on any suspicious activity on a regular basis.

Visit the social security field office in your area. Tell them about your incidence. They will suggest further whether you need to change your SSN# or not.

Is this thing going to affect your credit? Well, if this item is reported in your file incorrectly, it is going to affect your credit until fixed.

Thank you for the timely reply. I did some further research, and found that the loan was transferred into a bank account apparently under my name in a small town I'd never even heard of. The man I spoke with from that particular loan agency said that the only necessary information needed to get a loan was the DOB, SSN, and an account number. I asked him if they check to see if the account matches the person for whom the loan is made out to, and he said that they do.

So now I've apparently got a bank account in a town I've never even visited before. I'm considering calling the bank and asking for the activity on the account, but I don't have an account number, and don't feel like giving out my SSN to anyone else.

Again, thanks for the advice. I will follow your steps in reporting this, and I can't thank you enough for your information.



(I hope I'm not out of line by saying this, but I never thought the angel that would help me through this would happen to be so beautiful...) :oops:

Lomotil, since you have no idea about the account in your name, go to the bank and tell what had happened. Show papers of your police complaints and the fraud alert you activated with the bureaus. They'll do the investigations seriously and perhaps, close the account. If they are able to find out that the account in your name is fraudulent, you may not have to pay it.

Physically "going to" the bank is out of the question, as it's in some small (pop. 1,000) town that's almost 300 miles away. Hell, I don't even know what bank it was transferred to. The only information the guy gave me was the bank's name and town, and when I checked, there isn't even one of those banks in that particular town. The closest affiliate is 20 miles away.

I have one major credit card that I use, and I just called them to try and get some documentation on where I was on that particular day (if I'm charging a lunch on that day here, how could I possibly be taking out a loan 300 miles away at the same time?) - since it's been so long ago, they'll have to put in a request for that info, and I need to call back in a day or two.

I'm not going to lie here, but I'm seriously getting pissed off at this whole ordeal. I want to know who did this, and I want to know what companies made it this easy for that person to use his fake information.

Here's a real question: Supposing the authorities catch the person that used my information, would they supply me with his information? It seems only fair to me. He had my info long before I even knew he existed, seems that I should have the right to his information. What I wouldn't give for an hour alone with this individual.

..you may not have to pay it.

Truth time: I'm no stranger to message boards, and when I first read this, I dismissed it as the usual joking banter that I'm familiar with... But after I replied and turned the computer off, I started thinking - I think she was serious when she said that!

Make no mistake about it - there is no way in Hell that I'm going to pay back a loan that I never made. It's bad enough that I have to go through all this hassle - but to think that some company or credit bureau might hold me responsible for some other company's mismanagement of my personal information is beyond contempt.

I've already come to terms with the fact that I may never find out who stole my personal information, but suppose I can find out what company's database was hacked - do I have any legal recourse to sue?

I'm known to my friends as the most paranoid person they know, as I keep all my receipts and documents with any personal information on them, and when it comes time, I shred them, and then burn the shreds. It's a complete shock that this turn of events has happened, and it pisses me off to no end that someone else (a company, for instance) could be so careless with my personal information that they could let it fall into the wrong hands.

If I were you and someone was out there using my personal information I would pull all three of my CR adn make sure that my worst problem was this PDL company because if this is the only fraud then you don't have anything to worry about. I wouldn't sweat it and I would wait for the PDL company to contact me

Seriously, though - I don't think I'm blowing it out of proportion here when I want to know who this M-F is, and where they sleep. I don't take kindly to theft, whether it's actual tangible property, or this new chickenshit 'take your name and run with it' nonsense. I swear, there's nothing worse in this world than a thief.

I also have been getting calls that only give that number and haven't returned the call as I figured it was some sort of prank.

"Guest" - I remember receiving those automated messages, but never made the connection to this particular event (which happened last year, mind you). Just recently, I received another one of those "Important information... Call us back..." bullshit voicemails, but I blew it off. Damn, I wonder if someone's F'n with my info again...

It belongs to FMS (Financial Management Services), a collection agency in Tulsa, OK. Here is the info from their website:
fms-collectdotcom/index.htm
800-580-7611
800-999-2443
918-747-4884
info@fms-collectdotcom
Headquarters: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Other Locations:
Branch Operations: Reynoldsburg, OH
Sales Office: Kansas City, KS
Sales Office: Mission Viejo, CA
National Reach: Licensed and bonded in all 50 US states, with over 800 collection seats in two regional call centers - with plans for further organic growth.

Top Executives:
John A. Smith - President
Paul D. Rongey - Executive VP
Hank D. Markowe - Executive VP
Walter S. Smith - Sr. Vice President
800notesdotcom/Phone.aspx/1-800-580-7611

Hi, I just had the same thing happen to me, I was contacted by "frontier financial group" also out of Las Vegas, NV. Telling me that I owed them for some cash advances that I had taken out, totaling 775$. (From Everest Cash Advance.com) Well, I never EVER did such a thing, they money was sent to a TCF bank account. FFG actually provided me with the routing and account number. I have a suspicion that it was someone I know-that was a former roommate-or her son that did this-I filed every sort of complaint possible, with the FTC, the identity/fraud division of the FBI, had a fraud alert placed on my credit reports, ect...filed a police report, the only good thing I have going is this bank account number. The detective seems to have given up...he was going to call the bank today to see if he could get any name on the account- this makes me so angry, I hope that this person gets caught, so I can prosecute. Good luck to you-

I would, at the very least, take the steps available to you to prevent access to your CR.
I would recommend placing an extended fraud alert in your credit file under FCRA 605A(b).
It is a step above just placing an initial fraud alert. It requires that you submit a police report to the CRAs. Extended fraud alerts last for 7 years, and prevent numerous types of activities without first making direct contact with you for approval.
The police report may also become important should any of the "accounts not yours" ever appear in your CR. The police report is a form of documentation of identity theft that can support a dispute of inaccurate credit reporting based on an assertion that the account was not related to any transactions of yoours.

reading your question was and reading all that happen to you was very similar to what happen to me except in my case i received a call from a mediator and he left me a very threatening message saying to me there has been a formal complaint filed against kenneth pettijohn if you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of this individual contact our office right away or we be filing the necessary paperwork. when i called them the next day i they told me that i had taken out a payday loan for 575 and they told me that i did this transaction in 2008 and paragon lending expects me to pay over 2300 dollars they gave me that one moment to make a settlement and if not they will submit this to the courts and i will be subpoenaed. they said i really have no choice because they have a ton of evidence against me. to go through it quick cause they only tell me a few first a copy of the check from a closed bank of america account, we dont bank there, they claim they send me lots of collection letters and 2 certified letters and those came back as undeliverable, i will say they do have the right address but i didnt receive any letters, they claim hundreds of phone calls, if they did i never got one message, they tell me the email and it was mine years ago but i stopped using it in 2004 and lastly the claim they verify my employer and when i asked who and they named a hospital, that in itself is a joke cause i have never worked at any hospital in my life and now they claim they are taking me to court i wrote a question and posted it yesterday but i honestly feel for you i myself could use some help cause i dont know the law i dont have a lawyer and i would like to know what information i should start collecting cause this seemed pretty certain this is going to court and i could use all the help i can get