Consumer complaint received 2019-10-31
Company: ONLINE Information Services, Inc.
State: MO
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt

Complaint:
XX/XX/2019. My husband received a doctor 's bill ( XXXX XXXX ), from Online Information Services, for a hospital stay that did not happen in XX/XX/2019. Online Information Services quoted {$710.00} within their cover letter and {$970.00} on other documents, which by the way, came in the same envelope. Someone didn't validate anything before mailing it to us. I called the hospital directly and they have no record of my husband being at that hospital in XX/XX/2019. I know this for a fact myself, because my husband had 2 XXXX in XX/XX/2019 about 50 miles away. We had moved from the area the previous year. Online Information Services could not provide me with the procedure or what care or treatment the doctor provided my husband. I could not track down this doctor, nor would his alleged physician 's group answer the phone when I called. I called at least 6 times. I let my emotions cloud my better judgement. I saw red flags from the beginning, but my concern was being reported to the credit bureaus. After multiple phone calls asking for details about the bill, I was told we would be receiving a form to complete for fraudulent activity. And if we did not provide everything asked for, including copies of my husbands driver 's license and social security card, this would be sent to the credit bureaus. I told Online Information Services it would be easier for me to complete the form online and I was told it was not available online, nor could they email it to me. Just another red flag I ignored. Well, on XX/XX/XXXX, I sat down to complete the form, then get a police report per the letter from Online Information Services, but I recognized what form I was completing. It was the Identity Theft Victim 's Complaint and Affidavit. I know about this form because of some research I did for a work project. At that moment, all the red flags started coming together. Never asking my husband 's permission to speak with me about the bill, the sloppy cut & paste letters. The facsimile language/coding at the bottom of documents that should be clean and just printed. Nothing had been faxed to me. The same woman answering the phone every time me or my husband called which was numerous times. The actual doctor showed up on XXXX searches, but he wasn't practicing medicine at any of the facilities. The refusal to provide any details about the doctor 's bill. At first, I thought the two women I had been dealing with just swiped Online Information Services ' branding/logo because the address was the same, but the phone numbers were different. So, I reached out to what I thought was the real Online Information Services company to let them know about this scam and after being transferred to Medical, guess who answered the phone? The same woman that sent the strange cut and paste documents and the Federal Trade Commission form, which of course she could not email to me in this day and age. I used another phone when I called. The only reason I got her name is because I called her today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and told her I had completed the information packet, but didn't know where to sent it. Whoever cut and pasted the letter together forgot to mention what to do with the completed information. Just another red flag. Trust me, that question flustered her. That's how I got her name. Now I'm lost. Who is scamming me? Some horrible lazy woman sitting in a cubicle? Or a shady company that has the power to send fraudulent information about my husband to the credit bureau?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation