Dish Network Identity Theft

[SouthGeorgia]

This past September I decided to cancel my Dish Network at my hunting cabin after two years. My bill was coming to my office. Within a couple of weeks I started receiving a DISH Network bill at my office for new service in another County 50 miles away. I contacted Dish Network and they said I had to fill out a police report and fax that to them for them to investigate.

I drove over to the county sheriff's office and filled out a police report at which time it was noted that the physical address where the equipment was installed didn't exist. The police contacted Dish Network to find out the installer or recepient of the equipments name but Dish network wouldn't give it to the police for their investigation!!! This is written in the police report! Stupid idiots of Dish.

Then I faxed the police report to Dish and called them five days later. they told me that I now had to get a FTC Identity Theft report filled out and signed by the police back at the county. I told them if I had the name of the installer I could solve this problem but they refused to give it to me again. Stupid idiots of Dish! Now it is the federal gvt we are waiting on because DISH is made up of stupid idiots! AND if I don't pay the bill they will report me to the credit agencies. I own a business with 100 employees but have dedicated the next few days telling people what about the stupid idiots at DISH.

 

[MikeInAlaska]

Just FYI, I bought my receiver from a dealer directly. I paid cash for it. If I was a criminal, I could have given them any name I wanted. They are also sold all over craigslist like 5 per week in my small city. Also I put my dish up and hooked it up myself.

I suspect you wont get anything useful by finding out the "installer" or the "recipient"

 

[Stargazer]

Best thing you can do is shut it off and hope they do not try to turn it on again in your name. Put a PIN on your account. Another thing is even with a PIN they will still allow someone to override that.

 

[Smith P.]

You have full obligation DO NOT PAY for a service what you didn't order and what you don't getting !

 

[Bob Haller]

e mail CEO address tell them you posted about it here, and let us know what they have to say.

 

[Stargazer]

Sounds like being guilty having to prove innocence, just like with audit nazi verification team.

 

[Slamminc11]

...because DISH is made up of stupid idiots!...

Yep, all 25,000 employees at Dish are idiots!

...I own a business with 100 employees but have dedicated the next few days telling people what about the stupid idiots at DISH.

I hope none of your 100 employees need anything important while you are on this "Dish is made up of stupid idiots" crusade...

 

[yaz96]

I hope none of your 100 employees need anything important while you are on this "Dish is made up of stupid idiots" crusade...

You gonna keep apologizing for Dish every time one of these posts turns up?

Instead of your snarky posts, why don't you fix these folks issues for them?

 

[Slamminc11]

You gonna keep apologizing for Dish every time one of these posts turns up?

not apologizing for anyone (nice try tho), just feel bad for his employees if they need something while he is on his "next few days telling people what about the stupid idiots at DISH" crusade.

I will say that those I know who do work for Dish are far from "idiots". Not discounting the fact that there are bound to be a few there, just as I am sure there are a few that work for this guy...and I would go as far as to say there are a few here on this forum out of the 40,000 or how ever many there are here.

 

[yaz96]

not apologizing for anyone (nice try tho), just feel bad for his employees if they need something while he is on his "next few days telling people what about the stupid idiots at DISH" crusade.

I will say that those I know who do work for Dish are far from "idiots". Not discounting the fact that there are bound to be a few there, just as I am sure there are a few that work for this guy...and I would go as far as to say there are a few here on this forum out of the 40,000 or how ever many there are here.

If you read the actual "content" of his post, as opposed to his "commentary", he has a valid complaint, don't you think?

 

[Slamminc11]

Do I believe that he was a victim of identity theft? Yep, I'm guessing he probably was. And that sucks. No one should have to deal with that. But to label everyone at Dish "stupid idiots", which he pointed out not once but four times, then be it commentary or not, is well... IMO being stupid and idiotic.

 

[ryotgz]

Definitely get the account turned off and email CEO (found on forums here). I would not pay because you may not get it back. If you send in a police report they should have to place the account on hold and not demand payment (someone there has to handle fraud). Although they won't due much, but consider contacting the BBB as it can light a fire under them to get the ball rolling. I would include that in my email to the CEO address.

EDIT: Oh and I see why Dish will not tell you who installed it. They don't want an angry customer going "postal" on the installer or business that did the "install". Not saying that you would, but there are some crazies out there that would.

 

[--sexy-warlock--]

Rightfully angry that makes one a little outrageous?

 

[tlc1145]

Yea he has a valid argument, but Dish is a regulated company by the FCC. They have very strict guidelines on what they can do in situations like this. I assure you the last thing they want to do is force a customer to jump through a ton of hoops to fix a problem like this.

Still that is why they are cracking down on who is and who isn't authorized on an acct. The stop fraud situations just like this.

You can call the CSRs idiots all you want, but ultimately, they are just trying to do their job.

 

[ts7]

You also have to wonder how hard the local cops pursued this. If they didn't do anything but call Dish's support line, why would the CSR give out information just because the person identified themselves as a cop? Besides, it is the policy of most corporations not to give out personal information to law enforcement without a court order - did they get one?

The bottom line is that many (probably most) police departments and states attorneys are way overworked and understaffed. Going after identity theft is typically not at the top of their priority list (and frankly, I would rather have them focusing their limited resources on the violent "hard" crimes).

Instead of criticizing Dish, perhaps the OP should find out exactly what the PD did or didn't do in their investigation.