WTF? Bill for a credit card I don't have?

[notfred]

I jsut got a bill in the mail from "emerge". It says I'm 15 past due with a balance of $89, and now a $35 late fee.

This bill was sent to my parent's house, where I haven't lived in nearly two years. There's absolutely NO way that I would have signed up for ANYTHING using thier address. The only way I got the bill was because my parents received it, wrote my address on it (I recognize my mom's handwriting) and sent it to me.

This is apparently for a credit card with a $550 limit. If I ever got an offer for a card with such a low limit (and apparently an $89 annual fee) I would laugh and throw it in the trash. I'm ABSOLUTELY sure that I never signed up for this card.

Yet, I've received a bill for $124, mailed to an address I don't live at.

What should I do about this so that it doesn't end up affecting my credit?

 

[Soybomb]

Call them, I'd either guess its a scam to try to get you to be dumb and just send money, or someone managed to open an account with them under your name, which would be worth getting closed down.

 

[RossMAN]

First call their customer service phone number with pen and paper ready to take notes.

Before you do anything, give them your account number then ask them WTF?

Ask them to mail you copies of the application to your current address.

Ask them for the social security number on file, when was it opened, has it ever been late, has there ever been any activity, etc.?

If they have your name, social security, date of birth and address then ask them to CLOSE the account and confirm it in writing.

 

[notfred]

I hate bullsh!t like this... people who rn companies like this should be beaten to death with hammers

 

[RossMAN]

Maybe they recently ordered something, get the merchants name, date and amount.

Call the merchant give them your name and ask what shipping address was used then pay them a visit.

 

[notfred]

of course I'm on hold...

 

[Soybomb]

I've always thought castration with a spoon sounded more suiting than death by hammer (unless it was mc hammer...that'd be pretty mean).

Still on hold?

 

[newbiepcuser]

Just to be on the paranoid side, you might want to run a credit check to see if you have any other lines of ghost credit cards out there. Its better to be safe than sorry.

 

[csyberblue]

when I was around 15 years old, I got a bill for things that were paid for in check at toysrus in another state. Turns out they stole my identity, and bought some things with my information, we didn't have to pay anything, but it was a real big pain in the ass to deal with. Hopefully this didn't happen to you.

 

[dabuddha]

Somewhat similar situation I'm in

 

[conjur]

Happened to me, too, last year.

I got a letter in the mail for a Citibank VISA that was being turned over to collections. I call the company and find out what the heck it is and that I've never had that card. I had found out it was issued in relation to KMart and I KNOW I never had a card through them.

It ended up on my credit report and I filed a dispute and they still kept it on there! :mad;

Doesn't matter much...Ch. 7 filing is coming in a week or two. :frown:

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: conjur
Happened to me, too, last year.

I got a letter in the mail for a Citibank VISA that was being turned over to collections. I call the company and find out what the heck it is and that I've never had that card. I had found out it was issued in relation to KMart and I KNOW I never had a card through them.

It ended up on my credit report and I filed a dispute and they still kept it on there! :mad;

Doesn't matter much...Ch. 7 filing is coming in a week or two. :frown:

Ouch sorry to hear.

 

[Mutilator]

Might want to get a copy of your credit report... see if anything else is on there you didn't know you had.

 

[Nyical]

Originally posted by: notfred
I jsut got a bill in the mail from "emerge". It says I'm 15 past due with a balance of $89, and now a $35 late fee.

This bill was sent to my parent's house, where I haven't lived in nearly two years. There's absolutely NO way that I would have signed up for ANYTHING using thier address. The only way I got the bill was because my parents received it, wrote my address on it (I recognize my mom's handwriting) and sent it to me.

This is apparently for a credit card with a $550 limit. If I ever got an offer for a card with such a low limit (and apparently an $89 annual fee) I would laugh and throw it in the trash. I'm ABSOLUTELY sure that I never signed up for this card.

Yet, I've received a bill for $124, mailed to an address I don't live at.

What should I do about this so that it doesn't end up affecting my credit?

Sorry here that, it sucks when shiet like that happens, I had this happen to me a few months back
it ended up costing me roughly 300.00 and many many many calls to credit bureau's to get that messed cleard up and also got my SS # changed.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

I had a visa sold to emerge. I think they buy outstanding debts from other companies. Maby you had another card that was sold and you never recieved the notice? What if you sent a payment for the entire balence right after it was sold? Do you think maby they would forward it to emerge and bam, the card is payed off but under a different company?

Its a long shot i know, but it makes sense to me.

 

[Ime]

Run, don't walk, to the nearest credit-check website.

Buy a 3-in-1 credit report now and make sure someone isn't trying to steal your identity.

A former co-worker in Nashville got his identity stolen. He got one of those late credit card bills... and dismissed it at first until he got 4 others from different companies! :Q

Last I heard he was still trying to clear that mess up. The sooner you check your credit and start taking action the better.

 

[Mill]

Update?

 

[simms]

uh huh.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Ime
Run, don't walk, to the nearest credit-check website.

Buy a 3-in-1 credit report now and make sure someone isn't trying to steal your identity.

A former co-worker in Nashville got his identity stolen. He got one of those late credit card bills... and dismissed it at first until he got 4 others from different companies! :Q

Last I heard he was still trying to clear that mess up. The sooner you check your credit and start taking action the better.

I agree and check your credit again in 2 months to ensure that this account has been CANCELLED, CLOSED and PAID AS AGREED.

 

[BuckNaked]

I would get a credit report from all three major reporting agencies... Experian, Equifax and Trans-Union. You may be entitled to these for free if you believe you a victim of credit fraud (which it sounds like you may be). I would also have a fraud alert applied to all three agencies, which generally requires any attempt at credit application to be followed up with you at your current address.

I spent nearly 4 years getting my credit fraud straightened out.... The final numbers wound up being over $28,000 in bad loans and fraudulent checks, 84 felonies, and drivers license suspended in 3 states.... You want to nip this in the bud as quickly as you can...

Dave

 

[pyonir]

I found an account on one of my credit reports (it wasn't on the other two) from a bank i had never heard of. I called up the bank and they had no record of my SSN. So i disputed the item with that credit agency.

it was weird, cause the account was in good standing and had like $2000 on it.

Still waiting to hear back.

 

[RossMAN]

In addition to checking your credit with all 3 credit bureau's ... also dispute the inquiries (if any) on your credit reports as a result of this new account.

 

[slycat]

i had a collection on me and i paid it a year ago...
i even got them to send me a letter that states that it is PAID IN FULL.
but today when i check my cred report that status still says UNPAID...muthafackers

 

[IamElectro]

Bit of advice from a n00b.
I worked in a research office for a GE capital for 2 years before going back to school and we saw a lot of this. My Best advice would be to contact them by phone and close the account and dispute the balance. Here is the important part write a letter to them as well disputing the balance and request a copy of the application, send the letter certified. The reason for the leter is that they have to contact you within 30 days and have the situation resolved with in 90. At least when I was with GE it was explained to us that any dispute recieved in writing was priority "someting with credit laws". The backside is that it will still take upto 6 months to be removed from any credit reports after it is resolved with this particular bank.

My 2 cents

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: IamElectro
Bit of advice from a n00b.
I worked in a research office for a GE capital for 2 years before going back to school and we saw a lot of this. My Best advice would be to contact them by phone and close the account and dispute the balance. Here is the important part write a letter to them as well disputing the balance and request a copy of the application, send the letter certified. The reason for the leter is that they have to contact you within 30 days and have the situation resolved with in 90. At least when I was with GE it was explained to us that any dispute recieved in writing was priority "someting with credit laws". The backside is that it will still take upto 6 months to be removed from any credit reports after it is resolved with this particular bank.

My 2 cents

welcome to Anandtech! Good advice.....keep copies of everything....on hold?