Using Social number without knowledge?
I have just found out someone had turned on gas at a house I had tried to buy before but didnt due to seller dragging feet. I dunno how long the gas was on but it was turned off and the bill was turned over to collection agency, I have lived in my current residence and had gas with the same company and they did not tell me I had a current bill anywhere else I was a new customer I thought and they didnt tell me otherwise. I was living in current house for at least a month before the other was turned off. I believe the seller of that house used my ss number to turn on gas at the house while it was vacant and he was trying to sell it. What should I do? What options do I have? I have not yet called the gas co. yet because they are closed. Would I still be held liable for the bill even though it was not me that requested it turned on? What about a deposit to get the gas turned on in my name? I had to pay one for current place. Y not there?
Answers:
I would call the gas company and tell them they've made a mistake - approach them with you don't know if it was a typo or if the owner of the property used your personal information in an attempt to defraud them - but that you are a customer in good standing and want to figure this out, as it's damaging to your credit.
Don't get worked up until you've discussed this with the gas company. They probably see more of this type of thing than you may realize.
Someone using your social security number is fraud and you should make a police report immediately after calling the gas company. You should be able to have the gas company verify who turned on the gas or who requested it and you should be able to have the home's owner investigated as a suspect. It is possible that you might be held liable for the bill, but you can write a letter to the credit bureaus and demand that they submit the information that this was a fraud and is being contested with every request for a credit report.
Why would the seller have had your social security number and what believes you to think that is required to turn on gas service or that that was the reason it was turned on in your name. If you didn't request the service, you are probably not responsible for it and they can go back to the seller and find out who asked for the service to be turned on. Normally there is an on site inspection and a pretty rigorous procedure they go thru when gas lines are turned on so they should have lots of paperwork and signatures - and probably a deposit - before turning it on at the house so they should be able to figure out who they were dealing with if it wasn't you and that person is responsible - if, that is, it was not turned on for your inspection or at your request.
I would call the person who had your SS# for the possibility of buying the home and get to the bottom of it. Call the gas company and ask for all records to be sent right away, for your name is on them so you can get copies. This will give you the whole path. Find out who authorised it, letting them know about the fraud. Whoever did it is liable for "Fraud". Call all the credit agencies and file an identity theft. This may stop further use. It feels like the seller of the house is the one, and so he/she can be put in to jail for this. If they are an agent, they could loose their license too. If it was the owner of the house, then the papaer trail could easily point to them and the law will take care of them. Perhaps contact a lawyer after you get all your papers from the gas company.
If it looks like you can catch no one in the "act", I would just pay off the gas company for my cerdit rating. But file the idenity theft and put the sellers name on it (if you truly see he did it, like phone number he called from, etc) Usually if the bill is not paid after two months they cut it off.so check out your details first.
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