Consumer complaint received 2024-06-21
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS INC (CA)

In XXXX, I learned I had been the victim of identity theft. There were several Texas addresses and collections for utilities and other accounts which were appearing on my credit report, but I have never lived in Texas in my entire life. I also don't have any friends or family there. I did what any person would do and began researching how to fight identity theft. I found a company in XXXX that has a great reputation and hired them to assist me in fighting these fraudulent accounts. In the end, they did a great job, and all the accounts and fake addresses were deleted from my credit report! 

I thought that was the end of everything, but in XXXX of XXXX, another energy collection appeared on my credit report. XXXX XXXX XXXX. The collector who is reporting it on my report is Transworld Systems. After some research, I realized this was the same collection which was being reported by XXXX XXXX last year. XXXX XXXX had deleted the account by XXXX of XXXX because they knew it was fraud and cancelled it back to XXXX XXXX XXXX, but XXXX XXXX XXXX now sent it to Transworld Systems in XXXX. 

I called the credit company who helped me last year to inform them of this new collection, and they submitted a dispute by fax to Transworld Systems. This was back in XXXX. Transworld Systems never responded and never deleted the account from my report, so in XXXX, the credit company called Transworld Systems. Below are their notes which I received myself via e-mail. 

Spoke with Transworld Systems/ Demanded deletion in 24 hours Reply XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  At first, I spoke with someone who said we needed to resubmit a POA as they never received one. I played along and obtained an ID # of XXXX and hung up. I called a second time, and I received someone who just was speaking to me at first, but then hung up on me. I called a third time, and I spoke with someone who told me to submit POA again. I wasn't having it anymore, so I " bullied '' my way to a team lead since I knew POA had been submitted on XX/XX/XXXX, and I have a successful transmission confirmation. 

XXXX who is a team lead for the dispute department played the same game and said they never received our POA. I reiterated that I had proof the fax was transmitted successfully, and the fax had a POA in it. She tried to play the whole " it doesn't have a reference number, so we don't know where it belongs game, '' but I let her know the POA had a full social of the customer. The notarized affidavit also had a full social and date of birth and I am more than aware they can locate accounts via social alone since in my first call to them today, that is how we located the account. XXXX found the fax and said it was actually received. She confirmed it had the POA, our letter of representation, a police report, and an affidavit. 

I then asked why this account was still on her credit report nearly 2 months later? Why was this paperwork not attached to her file which included our POA? XXXX then said a dispute was submitted XX/XX/XXXX, and by XX/XX/XXXX the creditor " verified '' this was a legitimate account. I let XXXX know that creditors constantly claim accounts are " verified '' but this was impossible as XXXX has never lived outside of California. I then asked why no response, phone call, e-mail, or letter was ever given to XXXX or ourselves? In the end, I let her know incompetence isn't going to fly and if this account was not removed within XXXX hours, we were going to have XXXX file complaints against them, and XXXX was going to sue them. I told them my letter had my fax # and they had my phone number to call me as well. 

That was the last we heard from Transworld Systems, and to this day, the account is still on my credit report. As you have already read, I have never lived outside of California. I do not have family or friends in Texas and these accounts are not mine. I have already submitted a Sherrif 's report and an affidavit stating I am a victim of identity theft, and every other creditor, credit bureau, or collector has removed the rest of the accounts and addresses from my credit report. In fact, the report I am sending you will show that other than this one fraud collection, my credit is clean. Why is Transworld and XXXX XXXX XXXX special? Why do they get to decide that they are going to illegally report something that isn't mine when they have all the evidence to prove the account is not mine? The credit company was not bluffing when they said I am going to sue Transworld and XXXX XXXX XXXX if this complaint does not work. In fact, because I have had to spend all this time writing this complaint, I will sue if they don't add an apology in writing on top of removing this account from my credit report.