CreditReportsSite .com, Credit Reports Info

Nco…is it legit?

Ok I went to equifax.com and got my free credit report. I have never had a credit card, or anything that would give me bad credit…I basically have no credit. Well Ive been trying to get a credit card even with capitolone and I kept getting denied. When I viewed my credit report it says that I have a balance that was sent to NCO for collections of $220 from 2004 I didnt even have a checking account back then..So I have no clue what its from. I called the 800 number on the NCO website and this guy asked for the account number, and i told him i dont even know what account it is and then asked for my SSN and i gave it to him without thinking twice. He typed it in and said the account isnt with them its with merchant credit now and gave me a number, and when i called it i ended up getting some other company. I called back NCO but it disconnected before I even talked to anyone. Im worried now since I gave out my social. What should I do?

As for giving your SSN, chances are they already had it but now you know in the future never voluntarily give it to a collector.

With it being a small amount and it sounds like an older account if NCO sold/sent it to a junk debt buyer, it does not sound like a case of ID theft but rather a case of “stick the debt with the closest match”. You may have a similar name, address, SSN, etc., of the real debtor and they may have just stuck it on your report(s) because of any similarity.

“Stop talking to the collectors on the phone.”
Always do everything in writing, never sign your letters only type your name or print your initials, send everything certified mail return receipt.

NCO should not be reporting on your report for two reasons. One is that it is not yours and the other is that NCO no longer has the debt

But, since NCO is reporting you need to deal with their reporting which means sending them a validation request and disputing what they placed on your report(s).

Order your other two credit reports to see if they are reporting on those as well.

Instead of sending a simple debt validation request, you might send a stronger letter with more bite to it.
You might click on the last link I have listed in my profile to a free credit discussion board. Go to the Sample Letter Forum and look over the sample letter template for “Letters for unkown debt”. Use the letter sample from post # 2. The site and the letters on the site are totally free to use.
**Use the account number that is listed on your credit report for your validation request letter !! **

Send the letter certified mail return receipt. When you get the signed green card back, send a dispute to “each” of the CRA’s they are reporting to. Don’t do a simple “not mine” dispute.

Sample CRA dispute:

Your name and address
Your SSN (yes it’s okay to give the CRA’s your SSN)

CRA name and address

Re: NCO, Account # (and NCO’s account number “as it is listed” on the credit report)

Dear CRA,

I have no knowledge or records of the account that is reporting by NCO on my credit report # xxxxx.

I believe that it is being reported in error and request complete removal of it from my credit report.

If it is verified, please provide the name and address of the original creditor, the name of the account holder, the name of the person providing this data and the manner in which it was provided.

Thank you,

your signature

If you use credit reports that you purchased, the CRA’s have 35 days (the extra 5 days is for mailing) to complete their investigation and inform you of the results.
If you use the free FACTA reports, the CRA’s have 45+5 days to inform you of the results.
**Never contact the CRA’s for “any” reason while you have a dispute in progress. Any contact could give the CRA’s an extra 15 days to finish**

NCO has 30 days to respond to your validation request.

If NCO fails to respond but verifies with the CRA’s, file complaints with the FTC, BBB, your attorney general and their AG (they are not in good graces with their AG)
You can find sample complaint letters for those types of complaints in the Sample Letter Forum on the credit discussion board site I mentioned earlier.

File a complaint with the FTC for the CRA’s that allow it to be verified.
Redispute with the CRA’s and include copies of your compaints regarding both the CRA and NCO, and demand deletion.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them in the Credit Forum on the credit discussion board site.
You will be able to read the postings in the Credit Forum without signing up. But you may have to sign up on the board to be able to view the sample letters and you will have to sign up to post any questions. As I said earlier, it is a totally free site and it is also a spam free site.