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Sprint PCS Fraud Department Revictimizes Victims Reston Nationwide
I experienced identity theft in January of 2006. Among other things, a Sprint account was signed up in my name. I discovered this when I received a collection notice.
I contacted Sprint in February of 2006 and they instructed me to send a dispute report with all of my ID and a copy of the police report. They sent me the dispute report form and I returned all of the information immediately.
In March 2006 I called to check on the issue and spoke with a Sprint rep who confirmed receiving my information. He told me that the account had been flagged as fraudulent and I would not be held responsible or receive further collection notices.
In July of 2007 I received a phone call from a collection agency, informing me that I owed for the fraudulent cell phone account. My wife contacted the Sprint Fraud Department immediately.
The rep she spoke with informed her that they had sent us a fraud packet in February of 2006 and we had never turned it in. My wife explained that not only had we returned it, we had spoken with them afterwards. The Sprint rep called my wife a liar.
My wife asked to speak to a supervisor. The rep refused. She stated that this "is not an escalatable issue." My wife repeatedly asked for a supervisor. Finally the rep hung up on her. She called a second time and they hung up on her as soon as she identified herself.
Sprint takes very few precautions against criminals signing up false accounts, and then when a crime victim follows all of their procedures their own incompetence comes back to haunt the victim. They sold a false account to collection, after conveniently losing all of the documentation they had already confirmed that they had.
Oh, and the collection agency they use? Doesn't follow the law. They are supposed to notify you in writing within 5 days of contacting you. They were supposed to send me a second fraud packet to fill out. I have yet to receive that.
Ryan
Portland, Oregon
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
chastity515
Chester,Virginia,
United States of America
Something needs to be done
#2Consumer Comment
Tue, December 01, 2009
I actually had an account with sprint for over 5yrs before they sent me a huge bill and I called immediately about it. They told me over 20 phones were purchased out right and billed to my account. I told them I didn't order any phones and that I don't even have that many accounts for the phones. I mean use a little common sense. If I am not purchasing a phone to replace the phone on my account...and putting it on my account..not paying out right...and I am not an authorized person on the account....how could this claim even be processed?
I went through Fraud and got the same thing..that it was denied and I had to file a police report. I told them fine but I need to know the exact phones purchased, price and what store they were purchased from. I was told that they couldnt see what phones were purchased...just how much it cost and the phones were purchased from a couple stores and over the phone...(in states I don't even reside in by the way). I explained to them that I need basic information if I want to really find these people. I am thinking someone used my account to sell the phones on ebay or something...I even asked them...who would buy over 20 phones just because....outright..full price? I feel that the red flag should have been lifted here. I was toldl "You'd be surprised".
I tried to fight with the fact that my account had a limit of like 300 dollars...and was never told that it went higher...How can someone charge that much to an account and not be account holder? My sister had a line under me and she couldn't even upgrade her phone without someone from the store calling me and asking for my information. I also brought up that in the 6yrs of service, I never bought over 20 phones out right before. I got nothing. Regular customer service tried to fight for me but the end result was the fraud department and they didn't want to hear me...."just pay it...its your bill"....imagine about 25 phones at full price would cost...and you know they must have got top of the line phones.
I am still trying to fight it and demand the basic information so i can file the police report. It would be helpful if they could tell me the esn numbers to the phones that were purchased and at least where some of the phones were delievered to and which stores sold the phones. I was thinking they could look through surveilence tapes..but I am sure they will give it to me right when these places retape over the old footage.
Does anyone know of an attorney would could help get to the bottom of this or a certain agency that helps consumers when a company isn't being cooperative? Times are hard for everyone but identy theft and situations like this are on the rise right now. How can we protect ourselves? These comopanies obviously just want their money...