A victim of identity theft is alerting current and potential Verizon subscribers about a serious matter that could happen to anybody, even you. A Redditor with the username burning_sky12put up a post with a warning for anyone using Verizon or considering switching to the wireless provider. It seems that someone opened a fraudulent Verizon account in the victim's name. The account was opened without consent or any government-issued identification.
Verizon failed to turn requested documents in violation of Section 609(e) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
Getting the carrier to close the account was not as easy as you might think. According to burning_sky12, "I had to jump through hoops and file a police report just so Verizon would close the account and report to the credit bureaus that I am not responsible for the unpaid balance or account." Part of the problem was that, according to the victim, Verizon failed to adhere to Section 609(e) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act which allows a victim of identity theft to request all business records related to a fraudulent account opened in their name.
New Verizon CEO Dan Schulman. | Image credit-Verizon
The victim submitted a request to Verizon for the records related to the bogus account that was fraudulently created using his name. With that request, burning_sky12 included a police report and identity verification. But Verizon failed to turn over the documents citing "internal privacy guidelines" and "proprietary information." That led the victim to write, "If Verizon lets someone open an account in your name this easily, and won’t release the records that law enforcement needs to investigate further, how is anyone supposed to protect themselves?"
If someone fraudently opens a wireless account in your name, you need to do these three things
He added, "If a company isn’t taking proper security measures to prevent fraud and refuses to cooperate with victims, that’s a massive red flag." He also recommends three things you should do if something like this happens to you:
File a police report
Submit a written FCRA §609(e) request
Document everything
If Verizon decides not to comply with your requests, the victim says that you should file complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and your state Attorney General. He warns that you should not allow Verizon to close your case if they are the one who is wrong. He also wrote that he has seen many similar posts written by others who were in the same situation and his conclusion is that "If a company isn’t taking proper security measures to prevent fraud and refuses to cooperate with victims, that’s a massive red flag."
As a result, the victim doesn't believe that existing Verizon customers should stay with the company. He also believes that potential customers should stay away from the wireless provider. He writes, "I would not recommend anyone utilize this poor excuse of a business."
A former Verizon employee defends the carrier
In Verizon's defense, a former employee who worked in Fraud for the company for five years stated that "You can request information related to the incident and the rep should send you an email with a form to full out. But there's not much information that can be given, and you won't get any details regarding the investigation process or what happened when the account was opened."
Has this ever happened to you?
Yes. Someone opened an account in my name.
0%
No. So far, so good. Knock on wood.
0%
As for the lack of ID when the bogus account was opened, he explained, "Depending on how the account was opened, an ID may have not been required. If it was done online or by phone, the order may have been auto approved with no other info needed. If it was done in a store in person, the person could have had a fake ID with your info and their picture on it. I know it's easy to get mad and point fingers, but you are responsible for your personal information. If its stolen and used fraudulently, that's not Verizon's fault or responsibility."
Personally, I have been a Verizon subscriber for over 20 years and while I do have my reasons for wanting to switch to T-Mobile, luckily, I've never had a situation like this affect me. To be truthful, something like this can happen to anyone regardless of which carrier they use. Nonetheless, the advice written by the victim is useful and you should refer to it if the situation arises and you need to file a complaint with your wireless firm.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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