Southwestern Bell falsely charged me under a different name but my SSN for a phone line in a state I do not live in Missouri

In 1996, someone by the name of Martin Fizer acquired a telephone number in Missouri under my SSN. He failed to pay the bill and it showed up on my credit report in 2000.

I phoned SW Bell to ask why I have a collection in my name and my SSN (I am a female, for one thing and lived in Montana since 1989).

I told them who I was and that it was real easy to look up a SSN and see whos name is associated with it. Obviously it is not Martin Fizer. I asked how a company can ask for a SSN without verification. Why is this allowed? Can anyone use an SSN without any verification at all?

They said they DID verify SSN's! I said, obviously not. They then would not talk to me and sent me to their collection department in Texas.

The collection department asked me to file a police report on fraud, and send them materials (drivers license, Social Security card copies), and bank statements showing who I was. I did this and nothing happened.

Then they sold the account to a company in California - American Agencies in Torrance - who again reported this and it is showing up on my credit report. They again want me to produce documents showing where I lived in 1996, but only want electric or cable bills.

Well, I have since divorced and moved and I have no idea if I could get these and at the time, everything was in my husbands name. I have no idea how to clear this up but they can see, if they look up the SSN or even my credit report that EVERYTHING else I did was in Montana at the time - from 1989 to 2000.

Mari
Louisville, Colorado