identity theft - so upset

[JenStone]

My boyfriend and I are thinking of purchasing a home together soon after our engagement (which should be any moment now). Last night we decided to check our credit scores just to make sure we''ll get the mortgage rates we''re expecting....

My boyfriend''s Experian score was a dismal 520! We were both shocked and started going through his credit history when we found that someone had taken out an auto loan under his name last year. The loan was for over $17,000 and no payments have been made on it for an entire year.

Fortunately, that was the only fraudulent item on his report. But still...

I''ve read and heard so many horror stories about what happens after your identity is stolen. Many say that even though it is not your fault, your credit will suffer for years afterward. They say that the credit reporting agencies, the FTC, etc are not much help at all.

He will be going through the identity theft checklist this morning. In the meantime, can anyone else offer any words of advice? Also, any fairy dust would be greatly appreciated....

 

[BZ]

JenStone

I really feel for you guys. I suffered a similar fate approx 6 years ago. We were returning to the states and wanted to buy our own place. Tried for pre-approval only to learn that my credit was a mess (we had lived abroad for 3 years, so had no idea what was going on). I won''t bore you with the details, but it is a bit of a process to try and get everything cleared up.

So, some advice (I''m sure there will be others who will chime in as well). Follow the checklist with identity theft. You have to get that one thing removed and then chances are that you will be approved for a loan. I wrote a lot of letters and made hundreds of calls (we are talking $20,000 on many credit cards) to get it all cleared up. I spoke with the credit bureaus on multiple occassions. Some people are nice and helpful, some treat you like dirt. Keep copies of absolutely everything and document each call and conversation. I still have my file from 6 years ago. I don''t think I will ever part with it.

It could be a simple mix-up of identity. I''m sure you will learn more when he looks into the situation. Keep your chin up. I was able to clean my stuff up really quickly and still get the house in the time frame we were looking at.

 

[gailrmv]

Jen, so sorry to hear it. I had check fraud after my purse was stolen last year and it was a real pain but the fraud officer at my bank was extremely helpful. I don''t have any other advice, but I hope for a speedy resolution for you guys!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I''m sorry this happened. I suggest that you file a police report if you havent already done that. You''ll probably need to show a police report to the businesses you have to contact. Your BF should also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to make sure that nobody has been using his Social Security number.

 

[enbcfsobe]

Jen, that really really sucks. It is great that you found it, though. Definitely dispute the charges with the lender and submit a dispute to all 3 credit reporting agencies. Once you dispute the charges, the reporting agencies are required by law to note the dispute on the credit report. I would check every single credit card statement, bank statement, gas card statement, etc. to look for anything else that might have been small enough to slip his notice. Consider asking CC companies to lower the limits on the cards or ask them what they can do through their fraud protection units to prevent fraudulent charges to existing accounts or the opening of new accounts. Definitely contact social security and your local police. If they aren't helpful, I would start going up the line until you find someone willing to help you -- try the detective's division, then the district attorney, and your state's attorney general. Also try calling your state or US representative's office. Sometimes the legislator's constituent services people can be a great resource when other parts of government aren't working the way they should. While sometimes the corporate and government response to individual concerns sucks, it is really important not to get discouraged by an initial lack of response -- just keep trying (politely) and going up the chain of command. Best of luck -- I hope you get it all worked out!!

 

[snlee]

I don''t have any good advice but I wanted to say I''m sorry this happened to you guys! I hope your bf can get things fixed soon. Lots of fairy dust going your way!

 

[scarleta]

Really feel for you.Hope it gets resolved and the person who did this gets punished ..