How do I request a debt validation, and what do I do after?

[Anonymous]

So my girlfriend has an "account" in collections with SRI for $177.

The original creditor is listed as Comcast, opened October of 2014.

She has NEVER had an account with Comcast. All cable has been in my name.

So how do I start the process of getting this removed from her report?

Request a debt validation, right? How do we do that by mail?

Then after they "validate" and say she owes it (which is what they always do I hear) what are the next steps in the process?

[gdale6]

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@Anonymous wrote:

So my girlfriend has an "account" in collections with SRI for $177.

The original creditor is listed as Comcast, opened October of 2014.

She has NEVER had an account with Comcast. All cable has been in my name.

So how do I start the process of getting this removed from her report?

Request a debt validation, right? How do we do that by mail?

Then after they "validate" and say she owes it (which is what they always do I hear) what are the next steps in the process?

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If its not hers forget the DV and all that goes with it, use the ID Theft provisions granted to you in the FCRA its the fastest way to put an end to this.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Victim-of-Identity-Theft-What-To-Do-to-Protect-Yourself/td-p/2059499

[Anonymous]

Wow, that is quite a lengthy process!

A few questions about it though.

Will they find and prosecute the person who got the account in her name? It is almost certainly her ex-boyfriend's doing. He had all of her personal information and used it to get free cable, and apparently free electric, but that hasn't shown up yet on the credit reports we looked at so far (credit karma).

Now she says the guy even saved a scanned copy of her signature to use for applying for credit. If we do this whole process, and find more accounts, won't they compare the signatures and say that the account is valid due to the signature on the applications matching her driver's licence signature?

[RobertEG]

You only need file a police report. What law enforcemt does or does not then do is immaterial to your credit reporting issue.

The law enforcement agency will make their own decision regarding resources they wish to expend on any investigation, and if they do investigate ane obtaing evidence, your state or county AG will make a determineation regarding prosecution.  That is not the purpose of filing the police report from your perspective.

The reason for the police report is that the identity theft process permits blockage of the information from your credit report based only on an assertion of apparent identity theft.  Anyone can simply assert account not mine, so to place substance on the assertion, the FCRA accepts a sworn statement before a law enforcement agency, as you become liable for criminal prosecution for any knowingly false statements.

The police will assuredly ask for any info you have regarding the matter, and you must answer truthfully.  Give them what you have, and go on your way.