Identity Theft Victim Recounts Verizon Account Fraud Resolution

Identity Theft Incident

• 🎯 Mike Batista discovered a fraudulent Verizon account opened in his name and address, despite using AT&T.
• 😩 He found the process of resolving the identity theft issue very frustrating.

Initial Resolution Attempts

• 🏛️ Batista reported the identity theft to the Penllis County Sheriff's Office and filed a fraud claim with Verizon.
• ❌ Verizon initially responded that they were unable to substantiate his claim that the account was opened without his knowledge.

Resolution and Prevention

• ✅ After contacting Consumer Investigator Susan El Khoury, Verizon resolved the matter the very next day.
• 💡 To protect against identity theft, avoid sharing personal information over the phone, text, or email with unknown parties.
• 📬 Bring in your mail daily and place a hold if you are out of town.
• shred sensitive documents before discarding them.
• 🔒 Consider preemptively freezing your credit as a protective measure.