While I was fixing my credit I noticed collections for places I never shop - Vons, Longs Drugs and Michaels. Well, after much work I found out someone made fake checks with my name (spelled incorrectly) a very old address and my DL # printed on them. All of them had fake account numbers for a bank I had never banked at.

So - Vons got cleared after much fighting and contacting the BBB. Michaels was easily removed. Longs was a fight (it was only on ChexSystems) but now its gone and I have a fraud alert on Chex.

So, I go to KMart and notice my debit card is missing (yea, I know) so I decide to write a check just to get my $13.09 worth of stuff and get outta there. Check DENIED. WTF?!?! It prints all this crap on my check about Certegy. I run to the bank - cancel debit card - run back to buy stuff and go home to call Certegy.

MORE BAD CHECKS - not on my credit report (that I know of) three of them. Lovely. I want to kill someone. So, the Certegy guy says these are really old (this happened in June 05). He says one of the collections is with them. Two are with two other companies. I call them - of course BOTH have been sold.

OK. I call the first one with XYZ and Assoc. Hmmm... shady name - I ask the lady referring me to them if its an attorney office. No she says. Oh, I said, so they just want you to think they are... she laughs and says yea.

So, I call this "place" and its some guy with my on speakerphone? It was so odd. He had no idea what to say and I was like what do you want me to do? And he asks my name, etc. It was so weird. Its like some random dude bought some old debt and since I have a stolen ID problem he was lost since he wasnt calling ME and harassing me. I said - you want me to get a police report? He said "Uhm, ok, I guess- if thats what needs to be done". !?!?! WTH?! I asked if that will get me off Certegy and he said I have to contact them. No dude, I have to contact YOU and YOU need to contact THEM. I was so uncomfortable. I dunno... it seems so freaking shady. Now Im at a loss of what to do.

Should I just go ahead and get the police report and send it to him along with a letter telling him I want this off Certegy? I dont know anything about Certegy or how it works but Im totally weirded out by this "CA".

The third was a real attorney office and the guy was very nice, told me to get the report, sent to him and it'll take time to get it cleared blah blah blah. Whatever but this XYZ and Assoc.... I just don't know what to think. I really don't want him having any of my information - it was all so shady. Help?

That stinks- good luck

Thanks for the encouragement. Anyone ever dealt with Certegy? Maybe I should put this in the ChexSystems help thread. Anyone wanna move it?

Moving

I've never dealt with them. I relly wish you the best of luck in getting that hole situation straightened out.

BTW - your puppy dogy is cute!

If the check is old and for a small amount, the first one probably was some shady guy that just happened to buy some debt.

I've had to work with more debt collectors than I'd like to admit, and there's a certain age and dollar value that puts you at the "You've reached my dirty bedroom in my mother's basement. Please send your payment today by Western Union so I can walk next door to Xtra-Mart and pick it up." collectors.

They have no teeth, but they also have no qualms with ignoring the laws.

I would suggest sending the report and a letter by Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested. Give the collector some time to respond (they won't), and then send another letter, the report, and a copy of what you sent the collector to Certigy. They should help you if you make it look like the collector is non-responsive and you intend to pursue this further if they don't.

Best of luck.