Consumer complaint received 2024-05-13
Product: Debt collection — Telecommunications debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Credence Resource Management, LLC (AZ)

I started receiving collection calls that wanted my personal information. Which I refused. But finally, the word XXXX XXXX XXXX was mentioned a couple of times. So, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX who told me an account had been opened in my name and I should go to a local store. I went to the XXXX XXXX XXXX retail store on XXXX XXXX. in XXXXXXXX AZ and spoke with a rep at the store. He showed me a bill for service with an XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. The service had been disconnected within a few weeks, without a call ever being made on the line. The rep also shared with me phone number for XXXX XXXX XXXX fraud department, the address where the phone was sent : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ( note this is not anywhere near XXXX ), the email address used in the purchase XXXX ( note XXXX XXXX is a XXXX XXXX character ) and the XXXX tracking number XXXX. ( See attached XXXX  Bills retrieved from XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  store XXXX  ) I believe this was on or about the night of XX/XX/XXXX. 


On or about XXXX XXXX XXXX I called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Fraud Management Office at XXXX. I spoke with XXXX ; she told me that I needed to call the Fraud Department and gave me the number XXXX. I told her that is the number I called to get to her. At time she changed her story saying I needed to submit a claim through the website. ( a recording of this call is in file call-recording to XXXX XXXX XXXX Fraud department XXXX XXXX is available if needed it contains personal information. ) XXXX said she would note the account, that this looked like fraud. Finally, she transferred me to the Fraud Department ''. I got a menu and hit Fraud Department. The system goes to the loop basically where I started when I called. Then the system tells me there is a 22-minute wait, but I can leave my number and they will call me back. I left my name and number, but they never called me back. 

After some research I found where to submit a XXXX XXXX Inquiry Form online. ( See attached document : XXXX XXXX Inquiry Form submitted to XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) The Incident number is # XXXX with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Fraud Management.. ( See attached receipt document Your Incident has been SubmittedXXXX ) Using the XXXX tracking number I get the XXXX shipping information I download the Tracking from XXXX. ( See attached document : Tracking _ XXXX - United StatesXXXX ) Also see Proof of Delivery ( XXXX - Proof of DeliveryXXXX ). Not sure where I got this information, but I have in my notes it was delivered to or signed by XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. This is someone I do not know. 

I then contacted XXXX Fraud department ( who I pay for fraud protection ), but they could not do anything since it was not on my credit report. This is likely because my credit report was locked at the time the phone was shipped and they could not add it. Why did XXXX XXXX XXXX  allow credit when my credit file was locked? This should never have happened. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Credence Resource Management to try to resolve the issue in a 24-minute call. I spoke with the first rep XXXX XXXX ( probably not actual name, very XXXX accent. ) and asked if they had sent me a Validation Notice. I was immediately connected to a supervisor XXXX XXXX ( again heavy XXXX accent. ) He said the account was opened on XX/XX/XXXX, and discontinued on XX/XX/XXXX ( never activated according to XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX not one call ). He ended saying I would need to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX to resolve this, which I had already done. 

In XXXX XXXX XXXX I received another letter from Credence Resource Management. It told me to go to their website and enter a code. I did, but an error came up and I could not continue. In XXXX XXXX XXXX  I received a call from XXXX about the debt. I told them it was fraud. They looked at the facts. I never heard from them again. 

When this first happened, I spent many hours trying to correct this, which is not fault of my own. This was obviously fraud based on the following facts : 1. My credit report was locked at the time a debt in my name was created for this phone. 
2. The home address used was a place I lived over XXXX years ago. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX AZ XXXXXXXX. I owned this location so there are public tax records of this. There are also public tax records of my current address XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXXXXXX AZ XXXXXXXX where I have lived since XXXX. 
3. I visited the XXXX XXXX XXXX store in XXXXXXXX XXXX  and collected some facts on the sales. The phone was delivered to XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. The XXXX tracking number is XXXX. It was signed by a person other than me. I have never lived in Michigan. 
4. The email address used in the sale was XXXX XXXX XXXX is a XXXX XXXX XXXX character. To anyone reviewing the sale or collections this should have been a red flag. It is likely the person who ordered the phone is a XXXX. Seems like this was more of a joke to them than serious fraud. 
5. According to the XXXX XXXX XXXX store the phone was never activated. No calls on this line ever. At the time I had at least XXXX lines through XXXX or XXXX. As XXXX XXXX XXXX and Credence Resource Management know. They got my phone number from the Credit Agencies. 


XXXX XXXX XXXX and Credence Resource Management at best are guilty of gross incompetence. At worst guilty of attempted fraud against me. They both know this is not my debt but continue to pursue me for money they know I do not owe. To cover for a gross error XXXX XXXX XXXX made when they allowed the phone to be shipped. Whom ever did this fraud is likely a XXXXXXXX, based on the reference to a comic book character in the email used : XXXX. Not a sophisticated fraudster. I filled out the requested paperwork for XXXX XXXX XXXX ( see attached XXXX XXXX Inquiry Form submitted to XXXX XXXX XXXX and Your Incident has been SubmittedXXXX ). The cost to me so far in lost work and attorney fees is over the {$1400.00} requested by Credence Resource Management and XXXX XXXX XXXX. But I will not pay {$0.00} to settle. I am usually a pragmatic individual, until I see injustice. By Credence Resource Management statements in a recorded phone call, they have access to my information at the credit bureaus. They can see the address used was incorrect. The phone was sent to an address over XXXX miles from where I have lived and was never activated. My credit score was over XXXX before they attached this derogatory report to my credit file. As far as I am aware no other fraud against me was attempted before or since. 

I have made a good effort to resolve this issue, which I should never have had to go through. This now threatens background check on a very good job opportunity. The entity doing the background check requested my credit report be unlocked. This derogatory report must be removed from my credit report as soon as possible.