Consumer complaint received 2022-12-29
Company: ONLINE Information Services, Inc.
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was result of identity theft

Complaint:
SUMMARY I am being repeatedly contacted and threatened by debt collectors working on behalf of XXXX XXXX XXXX who claims that I have opened four accounts in my own name for utility services in multiple locations in Texas. I live in California. 

DETAILS On XX/XX/XXXX my credit reporting monitoring service alerted me that Online Information Services had posted a debt in collection on my XXXX credit report on behalf of XXXX XXXX. I phoned Online Information Systems to find out what the issue was. I provided the following information to their representative 1 ) I have a common name. It would be easy for someone to get my phone number and impersonate me. XXXX apparently does not do a thorough credit check. 
2 ) I have lived in California for over 2 years. I have never had a residence or owned property in Texas. I have never had mail delivered to a Texas address. 
3 ) I am disputing that the debt is my responsibility.

4 ) I requested a copy of the original customer sales order so that I could determine if the thief had stolen more than just my name and phone number. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received copies of three XXXXXXXX XXXX utility bills ( Exhibit XXXX ). The bills were in the amounts of {$440.00} ( XXXX, TX ), {$300.00} ( XXXX, TX ), and {$84.00} ( XXXX, TX ). 
The next day XX/XX/XXXX, I called Online Information Services, and repeated my dispute. I was informed that the sales order that I requested was not available. 
I was told that the largest bill which totaled {$440.00} was no longer in collection. I asked why XXXX would withdraw collection on one bill but not others. The Online Information Services rep did not know. In retrospect, it appears that this may have been an attempt to cut a deal, to get me to pay something and make this matter go away. I view such an offer as an attempt to get money from me by threatening me, which is extortion. 
The Online Information Services rep said she would send me forms that I could then take to report an identity theft, and that MIGHT clear this up. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received another letter ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ) from Online Information Services. The letter states, you must prove you did not create the debt. See Exhibit XXXX. In other words the letter says I need to prove my innocence to Online Information Services and XXXX XXXX. They have assumed the roles of judge and jury. This is misleading. 
The letter goes on with a demand that I fill out six pages of forms of their design, and demands a ) that the forms be notarized ( at my expense ), b ) filed with local law enforcement ( my city charges a fee per report ), and c ) that I must open an identity theft report with the FTC. The letter is quite clear that Online Information Services and XXXX XXXX  are not making any commitment to engage law enforcement in Texas or elsewhere. This is busywork which I find harassing and intrusive. 
I have not acted on the demands in Online Information Services letter because a ) I see no benefit to anyone by engaging my local law enforcement in XXXX, California regarding identity theft crimes that took place in Texas, and b ) I do not want to provide additional identity and other personal information to Online Information Services or XXXX because they have not earned my trust. 

Earlier this year, on XX/XX/XXXX, I was contacted by a different debt collector, XXXX XXXX, who was working for XXXX XXXX regarding a utility bill for XXXX XXXX ( perhaps a misspelling of my name ) in the amount of {$150.00} for utilities for a house in XXXX, TX. 
I called the debt collector and had much the same interaction as with Online Information Services, as described above. 
I have had no further contact with XXXX XXXX. 

MY COMPLAINTS ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX has allowed multiple utility accounts to be opened serially in my name. Some appear to have been delinquent in XXXX, yet XXXX continued to open new accounts in different locations in my name in XXXX. I have been burdened by contacting and sending documents to all the Credit Reporting Agencies and others to clear my credit record. 
( 2 ) Item ( 1 ) would have been detected, but XXXX employees did not follow XXXX policy by requiring deposits from account holders that already had delinquent accounts. XXXX Standard Credit and Deposit Policy is available online at XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX  dropped at least one bill from collection while continuing to pursue others. This appears to be their attempt to partially cover their losses by extorting some payment from anyone they think can be bullied. If this is their intent, then that is extortion. 
( XXXX ) XXXX  appears to have established a pattern of harassment seniors they think might be vulnerable. My age is over XXXX and this looks to me like age discrimination. Specifically, I am speaking of XXXX  use of multiple credit agencies and the use of debt collectors who demand burdensome data gathering to no clear purpose other than harassment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief