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Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before
So apparently I have a credit card with Wells Fargo. Who I think are great big evil avaricious pederasts. Apparently I've had it for about twelve years. Apparently I maxed it out and then doubled the limit with fees and interest. And apparently I live at 4902 Calle de Escuela in Lewisville ID, a street address I once lived at in Santa Clara and the town my parents live in.
The only thing I can guess happened is in 1991 I got a $400 credit card from First National Bank of North Dakota while in college and stopped using it. Then Wells Fargo bought FNBND sometime in 1996 poossibly and instituted a yearly membership fee. When they couldn't contact me, they charged me a 'failure to pay' fee and then combined that with 'over limit' fees. And so now, over a decade later, my parents get mail (because the postmaster knows them and says "Isn't that the name of their boy?" Ah, small towns.) that now they're really pissed and by golly I'd better cough up the $850.
So I called the Customer Service rep who said 'I'm going to be honest with you. You can dispute the charges but since you paid on the account for five years they won't take it very seriously.' I appreciate her honesty at least. And since they have my social security number, that pretty much absolves them of needing any further proof of my guilt.
So hurrah for being completely screwed. I hate my life.
The only thing I can guess happened is in 1991 I got a $400 credit card from First National Bank of North Dakota while in college and stopped using it. Then Wells Fargo bought FNBND sometime in 1996 poossibly and instituted a yearly membership fee. When they couldn't contact me, they charged me a 'failure to pay' fee and then combined that with 'over limit' fees. And so now, over a decade later, my parents get mail (because the postmaster knows them and says "Isn't that the name of their boy?" Ah, small towns.) that now they're really pissed and by golly I'd better cough up the $850.
So I called the Customer Service rep who said 'I'm going to be honest with you. You can dispute the charges but since you paid on the account for five years they won't take it very seriously.' I appreciate her honesty at least. And since they have my social security number, that pretty much absolves them of needing any further proof of my guilt.
So hurrah for being completely screwed. I hate my life.
My very strong advice
http://www.cardweb.com/cardlearn/
http://www.ftc.gov
http://www.equifax.com/
http://www.experian.com
Get an up to date credit report and go over it carefully, with a highlighter, take notes. Then make sure you contact any companies with which you know you haven't done business in at least a year and make sure your accounts are closed. Ever since my fraud episode I've been fanatical about making sure my accounts are just as they're supposed to be and have limited myself to two active cards. That way I know precisely what I'm spending and what I owe.
You can and should fight this, no question, but I can see how it would be a bit overwhelming just now. Make sure you get the documentation from your folks and read over the paperwork very carefully, if you can dig up the original paperwork on your card even better, going into something like this informed is really the only way.
Re: My very strong advice