In November of while checking my Bank of America checking and savings account balances online, I noticed an MBNA credit card was linked to my online banking with a balance of over $2,000.00.
After spending hours looking for an MBNA or Bank of America customer service phone number where I could reach an operator, I was finally able to relay my concern. The Bank of America employee assured me that the credit account was, in fact, not mine and told me that it appeared linked to me as the result of a glitch in the system that occured during the BofA/MBNA merger; she informed me that this has happened to several Bank of America customers.
I asked if the account was linked to my social security number, if any negative information was being sent to the credit bureaus and if it could possibly be a case of identity fraud; she assured me the answer to all three questions was 'no.'
I checked my accounts online again in December; the credit card was still linked to me. I called again and spoke with a different woman. She assured me that the information would drop off of my accounts in no time, as soon as they could resolve the technical issue, and again stressed to me that the information would not be negatively reported against me, as the credit card was not mine.
I checked back again in January. To my relief the credit card was no longer showing on my acounts page.
Later that same evening I received a piece of mail from AlliedInterstate, Inc. The letter served as an attempt to collect a debt owed to Bank of America, NA.
I called Allied Interstate, Inc. And the gentleman on the phone verified that the account is, in fact, linked to my social security number. Bank of America is attempting to recover $2,542.97 from me, and has reported a charge-off of over $900.00 to the credit bureau.
I then called Bank of America Customer Service. Jennifer, the girl with whom I spoke also verified that the account was linked to my SSN. She also verified that the account had been reported as a charge-off to the credit bureau, and as a result of that, she informed me that she was unable to help me any further. She instructed me to call their charged-off accounts department between 8am and 6pm Monday through Friday.
I still have to wait to find out the final outcome. I will be notifying the Better Business Bureau, my attorney general, my personal attorney as well as local and national media. I can only hope that Bank of America will not walk away from this unscathed. I can also only hope that my credit will be repaired and I will be compensated with monetary damages, and Bank of America will supply me with credit reports from all three major credit reporting agencies at their expense for the next seven years.
Jason
Barre, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
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