He Stole our Business Identity - No help for the wary

[honestliving]

What is the name of your state? Maryland

Long story short. A business acquaintance steals and uses our Fed Tax ID number, our Duns number and checking account number, to acquire credit accounts for his own benefit. He uses these accounts to build his own business, pays late or not at all because they are not in his name. Most recently, we find that he is not only using our credentials, but has now begun to use our company name! He has had goods and services delivered to his home with accounts he created in our name! He has affected our credit so badly that our creditors now believe we are located at HIS address! Not to mention that he has left a wake of debt behind, again IN OUR NAME! He has destroyed in 2 years, what it took my husband and I to build in 15 years!

We have faught with creditors, lawyers and collection agencies over the debt that this person created. They cannot and will not do anything to relieve us unless we have a police report. The police will not take a report because they feel it's a civil matter. They refer us to the States Attorneys office, well, they won't help unless we have a... you guessed it... police report. I'm spinning my wheels here. I can sue the guy, but really, that will only cost me more money, do nothing to put him behind bars and chances are, he'll never have to pay anything since all of his assets are in his wife's name who doesn't even carry his last name!

I've just began the process to contact the FBI, but I fear that will be another dead end. His actions have caused our credit and business irreparable harm and from what I can tell, he's going to get away with it all!

Seems no one can do anything about it. Seems anyone can commit fraud against a company and it's not really a crime. The only thing you can do is sue and hope something happens because you know, if he's stealing, he doesn't have much of his own to repay for damages... a real lose, lose situation.

Any ideas? Options? Types of attorney? Types of criminal action I can pursue?What is the name of your state?

[moburkes]

How did your business associate get all of this information? Go back to the police station and explain that without a police report, you are not able to... and list what you wrote above.

[honestliving]

My husband and he decided to start a business venture together, in doing so, this information was disclosed. My husband was the financial backer of the business venture, they guy was to run the company. Just so you understand, that business venture was in no way tied into our established business that he is now ruining.

About 6 mos. into the new venture, we realized we were dealing with a not-so-honest person. Collection calls and angry clients began to call. He was taking their money and not delivering on goods. He was buying and not paying... Once we realized what was going on we all signed a Termination Agreement, that stated the separation of partnership and the end of the company name as it was, etc. Again, that venture was something entirely different than what we do in our company.

He continued to conduct business, can used our credentials to build it. He then started another corporation and began to establish accounts for THAT company too!

I contacted as many creditors as I could to verify his wrong doing, it all checked out. So not only did he not honor the separation agreement, dated Nov. 4,2004, he has been conducting more fraud and even more aggressively because he knows he can get away with it.

I've filed with the Federal Trade Commission, the IRS, etc. but to no avail. I've also gone to the Police twice, both times, they say that they cannot help me, that it's a civil matter. Any other ideas?

[tranquility]

Sue him for your damages and for an injunction to stop using your name.