First time posting, so my apologies if I am asking a common question. I searched but could not really find an answer elsewhere.
My problem: Last year, as I was trying to check on my credit, I found that there was a Capitol One credit card reporting on my credit. The account was almost 8 years old, and I had never applied for that account. I was an authorized user for a friend that needed me to help them while they were disabled. She called and got a card issued in my name as an authorized user only.. one phone call and a card came a week later. I never filled out an app, never spoke to them on the phone, never signed or authorized anything.
I used that card to pay her bills online, to get groceries, pay for her medicine, etc. Always on her behest, never for anything personal (I have my own money thank you. ) Anyway, her bill was always paid at the end of the month and although she had about a 3500 credit line, her balance was never over 300 at the end of the month. I know, I also paid her bills, she would sign the checks.
Anyway, I moved away in 2001, at which time the card was paid to zero, I cut up the card with my name on it, and gave it to her when I left.
Fast forward to 2007. My friend passed away sometime in 2006, which I didn't even find out about til I pulled all three credit reports in 2007. For some reason I had 2 bad hits on my credit, which upset me since I have always tried to protect my credit.
The first item was an old phone bill, which I know I paid and I have NO idea how to get it off my credit. Disputing it did nothing.
The second item, is the one in question: Somehow, Capitol One was saying I had a credit card with a past due balance of over $7600 and the last activity was 03/2001. This showed on all 3 reports. I have no idea how they even got my SS# -- So I disputed this and all three reports removed it. When my disputes were all completed (**bleep** phone bill didnt get dropped even though I have the canceled check) -- I discovered a NEW problem...
NOW there is a collection agency listed on all three reports, and it is the exact same capitol one account. Same account number, same amount, same date of last activity, although it says updated 11/2007.
I disputed THAT, and asked for written proof, but cannot seem to get the CRAs to actually confirm the debt. Because if they did try, they would discover that I have never ever signed anything, authorized anything, etc etc.. I have no clue how it even ended up on my reports in the first place.
My question is: (if you made it past my grand novel) --- How in the heck can I get these erroneous (if not fraudulent) entries off my credit report? One report stated it would "fall-off" in March 2008, and another said June 2008. I just checked my credit yet again, and it is still there, on all three reports.
All my accounts are always paid on time, never ever late, always paid more than due, and my total debts are under 70% of max available balance. I only have the two mentioned here as negative references on my reports. This "problem" is killing my credit score.
Any advice ? 
Mars
