Date: Fri, Aug 18, 2000 5:38 PM
Subject: identity theft

Two issues:

Medical identity theft. Some one used my name, insurance information, social security and admitted themselves to a hospital. When I went in the information regarding blood type, etc was incorrect. Could have been tragic.

Secondly, credit identity theft is back enough, the CRA's victimize the person twice. There is no way to remove information. The furnisher of the information continues to report that "you are the one" regardless of documentation provided ( in one case my husband was dead for two years before "he" opened the account in OUR names). The CRA's are protected because if you bring legal action they will claim that they "just report the information" and you get hit with their legal fees.

There needs to be some way to "correct" information at the furnisher level - or seek recourse. Under the FCRA now only Federal agencies can take action against a furnisher of information - leaves a person with identity fraud stuck in a vacumn. In the case of the "dead" applicant - it was a Power company - they are asking me to prove it wasn't him and that he didn't have authority to add my name as a joint user!!!. A Death certificate is not enough. In the mean time I have this information stuck on my credit report. The power was for Virginia, I live in Florida!!!

I would love to be on your panel - I am a college educated, disabled widow with a teenage daughter who was the victim of a violent crime( mugging) that caused the selling of my credit cards, and ID - only to have the same type thing happen when my husband died three years ago and someone broke into our home and is now pretending to be him - and me at times!

I know the system very well, and have researched the laws to try to find a loophole to attack the furnishers of incorrect information. Do you know that they only have to respond to a post card from the CRAs with a check mark to indicate that they have researched your dispute?

Lind Weaver