I applied for a job at Goodwill and was elated to hear I'd received a letter in the mail from them so soon after applying. However, having just opened it up; it turns out I somehow owe them 106.73 due to a check allegedly written by me back on August 5th for $76.73 (there's a $30 service charge unless I make the payment within 5 business days). Some red flags to this include:
* The enclosed photocopy of the check indicates that it was written on August 9th.
* Any attempt at pulling up the specific check in my records comes up nothing.
* I've never written a check, let alone one bearing the old bank's name.
* The signature is completely different than my own.
* The check is from my old address.
* The letter is dated on the 10th, yet I just now received it 10 days later (where it states that if I fail to pay within 10 business days from then, the dishonored check and all other info relating to the incident will be turned over to the sheriff.)

So how do I go about dealing with this identity theft? While the check's written parts are fake, the check itself comes from an old checkbook I've been assured was burnt up.

Yeah, I'm heading to my bank as soon as they open to have a person look this over.

Atma wrote:

Hope that helps.

Very helpful and I'm glad to see I'm rational enough to handle all of this with my level of awareness (I've been up since 8:56 p.m. to work and opened the letter when I got home around 4:30 a.m.)

Bank has been contacted, I was directed to the police station where I made an identity theft report (with an impending forgery report once I get the video tape from the store) complete with a case number. Then I went by the store I believed the check was written to (the check just says Goodwill) and was thankful to learn I was correct. I had a good talk with the manager who said she had been notified about the check as well. After getting some info that I needed to call their corporate office she told me she could probably get me the video footage from the day in question and would call me Monday or Tuesday after giving her my number and even my e-mail to be certain. After coming home, I called the corporate office who, after giving them my case number, told me they'd likely just need the police report faxed over and possibly an afadavit confirming I'm not the one who made that purchase.

I'll remember to take the report by bank after faxing a copy to Goodwill's corporate office. I don't think I'll be able to get any of this money since it wasn't actually taken out of my accounts (it was a long closed account), though it'd be nice. I'm sort of hoping they're willing to hire me as part of an apology for the whole mess once it's resolved. I plan on contacting the credit agencies as soon as I have the police report(s) in hand so I can dispute any claim(s) ASAP. The idea of requiring notification prior to opening anything new sounds like a great plan as well.