Several years ago my father had a MasterCard account with AT&T; a Universal AT&T MasterCard which had a sizeable credit limit; $10,500.00. My father's financial affairs were being handled by a CPA in another state; my father's bills went straight to him for processing and payment.

Several years ago my father had assumed that his account with AT&T had been closed and thought nothing about it since my brother who had set things up with his CPA to take care of our father's affairs took all of our father's credit cards with plans of closing the accounts due to excess spending on our father's part. That was sometime around late 1998.

Now just last week our father receives a call from his current CPA who informed him that he had received an item in the mail from his previous CPA; the CPA who was to close the AT&T MC account but didn't. The item received in the mail from the former CPA was a statement from AT&T MC.

The AT&T MC account was still open; had never been closed and also still maintained a high credit limit; $10,500.00 and a recent charge appeared on the bill for $99.00 at a major toy store out in California. My father lives in Mississippi and has never been to California.

He immediately contacted AT&T MC and after further investigation AT&T MC was able to determine that the actual credit card was used at the toy store out in California; it wasn't an internet purchase but a CC purchase made at a bricks and mortar store out in California. My father immediately had the account closed once he learned that.

According to AT&T MC they informed my father that a new CC had been mailed out on his account by them to his former CPA's mailing address in September 2003. The former CPA denies ever having received the new AT&T MC. AT&T MC also advised my father to place security alerts on all of his credit files with the 3 major credit reporting agencies which he did.

I told my father once he receives copies of his current credit reports he needs to closely examine them to make sure that all of those other CC accounts which my brother claimed that CPA #1 did close did in fact close them otherwise there may be other CC accounts out there still open and active. Comments anyone?


End Of Message
03/17/04