Please Help! Need advice on charge off quickly!

[Anonymous]

I am new to this board but have been reading this board, the cb, and cic ones every day for hours on end. I am on my third sleepless night of board reading since joining. Not sleepless night in a row. Here is my problem. I got a phone call from a ca a few weeks back telling me my cc was in collections. I paid  ca $100 on the phone. That promted me to pull my credit reports which I had never done before. Well when I pulled my reports I saw 2 cc accts w/ this same oc, but I thought I only had one acct w/ them. Now this year has been not the greatest financially and I got lazy w/ record keeping and paying my bills on time so I have messed my credit up pretty good this year and was not paying attention to stuff I should have been, obviously. So I've been wondering how in the world I would not have paid something for 6 months in a row and let it get charged off. I found these boards and sent a pfd cmrrr. After doing that, this whole issue w/ this chargeoff & acct I did'nt even know I had started bothering me so I pulled out all of my check registers, my checks have carbon copies when I write them, got out the bank statements, etc.... Now here is the crzazy part from 2003-20007 I have only ever made out one check to this cc in a month period. I have never issued them 2 checks in one month? Now my other account w/ them has 3 lates all in 07, but since 2001 every month it's been on time? So I'm thinking how is this possible. I try calling cc and get transfered to ca 3 times in a row. I know I should'nt be talking to anyone on the phone but I was pretty confused so I explained the situation to him since  I had just asked for a verbal pfd early that day since prior to me finding these boards I was offered a settlement and verbally agreed. I have not paid it.  so ca is probably thinking I am crazy or lying or whatever. I don't really care. So my question is what do I do now? Should I DV eventhough I sent out a pfd yesterday? Should I go to the police? Should I fill out a idenity theft form? Should I contact cc fraud dept (although everything I have read about them online is horrible and that would probably get me nowhere) Plus both of these accounts were opened in 12/01 so how was the charged off acct paid on up until some lates in 06 than paid on than charged off when no money came out of any of my accounts? The whole thing is crazy and I don't know what would be my best, smartest step from here? Please Help!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Hi megan, welcome to the forum. So sorry to hear about this nightmarish experience. If it had been me, I would have gone ballistic.

First of all, imo, you should not do ANYTHING until you get to the bottom of this. Do NOT talk to the CA for now.

Can you be specific? More detailed info would be helpful. CC name, CA name, amount.

How long have these 2 cc's been open on your credit reports? Are both being reported on all 3 credit reports?

It appears on the surface that you may indeed be a victim of identity theft. If you are convinced that you have been attacked, have only one account with this ccc, then it behooves you to go into panic mode and put a fraud alert to all 3 CRA's. Yes, file an identity theft police report. And you MUST talk to the fraud department of the ccc.

I'm sure others will chime in to offer their advice/opinions.

[Anonymous]

Thank you sooo much for replying! The cc is capital one the ca is Viking. Both of these accounts were opened 12/2001 (how is that possible?) I am not ballistic but a nervous freakin worried wreck! I have never been so stressed in my life. Amount of charge off is $1,751.33 according to letter from Viking dated 11/8/07. I paid my other cc acct off w/ Capital One  yesterday so that balance is now $0 and it is still open and fine for now. As for contacting cc fraud department I spent half of the night reading about cc online and I did not see one person have anything good to say about them. Alot of people said fraud dept did absolutely nothing for them, ALOT of complainging customers out there. Making me nervous about the one account that is open and paid off. I'm sure you have heard the horror stories? What should I do first or does it matter? police report, fraud alert, call cc fraud dept.

[Anonymous]

Police Report first, A MUST, if you are going to claim ID fraud.

[Anonymous]

megan, I know people have complained about lack of activity with Cap1's fraud hotline, but I think that is where you should start. This is just how I'd start out given similar situation. I've never experienced what you are going through.

Cap1 Fraud telephone number: 800-427-9428

Account Specialist: 800-889-9939

In fact, I could call and talk to an account specialist first, explain what's happened like you have here, and ask for their advice.

Keep coming back here and ask for suggestions. We will all work on this together, ok?

[Anonymous]

megan, follow Boswd's advice. He has more experience in these matters than I do.

[Anonymous]

Yes Police report first,  you must have a copy of that to send to the CA , the OC and the CRA's if need be.   Also that will be the first question asked of you when you tell the CA that it's Id theft,  "Did you file a report? "   So you need that first thing.

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone sooo much for replying. It is helping just to be able to discuss this w/ someone besides my boyfriend (who is not sure what advice to give me).

Ok. I did call Capital One 3 times yesterday afternoon - evening. The first time I explained the issue was told I would be transfered to supervisor got transfered to Viking. Talked to ca who did not know much and said I would have to take up w/ Capital One.

Second time. Call Capital One again, explain situation specifically ask to talk to a Capital One Supervisor and not be transferred to Viking as they are telling me I need to discuss this issue w/ them and not Viking. I get assured that I will not be transfered to Viking. Get transfered to Viking.

Call a third time same exact thing happens. At this point I am at my witts end w/ Cap 1 so I start searching forums, any info I can find on what to do in this situation, and searching for info on Cap 1. I got no sleep last night and now I am so  tired and delerious  my brain is not even functioning properly. I will call police right now.

Again thank you so much for replying to me. I really appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

Just got back from sherriffs office and I feel much better. Thanks again, everyone. Now maybe I can get some sleep.