TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — A Tarpon Springs man was charged for a cell phone after he said someone stole his identity to open a new account, but when he reported it to the phone company, he learned he was still stuck with the bill.
Mike Battista said he received a bill in the mail for a new Verizon phone line, but he didn’t open the account, and he’s an AT&T customer.
Battista, who lost both his legs due to complications from diabetes, said he went to a Verizon store hoping to resolve this but was sent to another location, where he was told to file a fraud claim online.
“To keep hitting stone walls trying to resolve the matter—that’s not consumer friendly,” Battista said.
Battista filed a report with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and submitted it to Verizon. He said he received an email response from the company.
“We are unable to substantiate your claim that this account was opened without your knowledge or content,” Battista said. “If it was opened with my knowledge and consent, I just filed a false police report and I should be arrested. What are these people thinking?”
That’s when Battista reached out to Susan Solves It.
Consumer Investigative Reporter Susan El Khoury contacted Verizon, and within hours, Battista received an email from the company saying the matter was resolved.
Verizon chose not to do an interview. In an email to ABC Action News, a spokesperson said they reached a satisfactory resolution with the customer.
Anna Marie Fiallos is an Investigator and Outreach Coordinator with the Pinellas County Office of Consumer Protection.
WATCH: Identity theft leaves Florida man with unexpected phone bill, then Verizon denied his fraud claim
Fiallos said if someone suspects their identity was stolen, they should contact the three credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian, to put a fraud alert in place and freeze their accounts.
Fiallos also recommends putting a preemptive freeze on your credit to help prevent fraud.
“It just takes a few minutes to request to freeze your credit report, and then if you decide that you need to open new credit yourself, you can unfreeze it,” she explained.
Battista is retired but spent 28 years in law enforcement. He said he put a preemptive freeze on his credit to try to protect himself from situations like the one he faced.
“I’m glad that you all were able to help me,” Battista said. “If something doesn’t seem right, mention it to somebody, never surrender.”
"To keep hitting stone walls trying to resolve the matter—that’s not consumer friendly"
A retired law enforcement officer thought he took all the right steps when someone stole his identity and opened a new phone line, but he was still left with the bill.