I was trying to bundle my AT&T home phone with my other services by adding a cellular phone to the package. After giving my information, I was told that in 1998 a cellular phone was opened up in my name with all of my personal information. As of 2000, AT&T closed the account claiming that it was unpaid. All of this is NEWS to me! I was transferred to the Fraud Dept and it was determined that the account was not fraudulent because the information that I gave matched their records. Then I was transferred to the Billing Dept. because the Fraud Dept. said that billing might be able to help because the debt was over 7 years old.

Since I did not know about this debt and was certainly not contacted by AT&T or a collection agency - do I owe it? I live in Missouri and do not know what the SOLs are for something like this.

Please help me! I am desperate!

twinkiedooter

First pull a credit report history on yourself to see if that shows up. Then call AT&T and see if you can't get them to send you copies of this account you allegedly opened and owe money on. If you get the copies look them over carefully to see if your real signature is on the application anywhere. Someone just may have opened this using all your personal info and didn't pay it.

JudyKayTee

Not saying it is or isn't fraud but not all bad debts show up on a credit report - only those that are reported.

Fr_Chuck

First not showing up on your credit report means nothing, ep now, it would have been on, and already went off. But you do need to in writing, deny the debt and tell them you are requesting proof of the debt. What was the billing address was it our home ? if so you or someone in your home would have gotten the bills.

Now SOL only stops them from taking you to court to sue you. It does not mean you don't owe them if the debt is valid. So what they can do is refuse you service if you don't pay them, They just can't sue you if the SOL is over, but they can still try to collect.