First Equity Credit Deployed Soldier Victim of Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud...1st Equity insists it's mine. Columbus, Georgia

Deploying to Iraq for more than a year was hard, but returning home to what I have is probably the hardest thing I have done in a long time.

My former friend (a very close one) has been racking up charges on 2 Chase Cards which First Equity says they own not Chase. How he got my information: He and I openned a LLC catering company. He had access to my security info i.e. my SSN, my mother's maiden name, addresses, ect. He changed my address to his, so, I had no idea what was going on till i got back to the States.

After getting my credit report, I called Chase, but the number was to 1st Equity. Anyway, I talked to the cust svc rep who told me I had to start paying 1% of the balance to put it back into good standing. Even though the account and charges did not belong to me, I set it up for payments. This was only after being transfered around to talk to a "supervisor", who said it was my debt and Identity theft has not occured. They also said that they could go after my assets if I did not pay.

And all this occured within weeks of returning from a war-zone.

It has been 45 days since I first contacted them, and according to my credit report, the card is still more than 120 days past due (even w me making those 1% payments). I have since ceased making those payments due to attorney's advice that paying anything to them makes me responsible for the debt, and I have filed a police report.

I have contacted 1st Equity many times since then to talk to someone who will listen, but to no avail. I put them in the same catagory of honour as I do the man who stole my identity. Have you no shame 1st Equity???

Jeremy
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
U.S.A.