After Case Of Mistaken Identity, Steelworker Denied Home Loan
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A south suburban man says a bank added insult to injury, after it mixed up his identity and then denied him the loan he wanted.
It was supposed to be a college graduation present: a condo for the daughter of 45-year-old steelworker James Heard.
Heard said he applied for a loan at Bank of America, and then got papers saying he'd been approved. Closing was scheduled for February 23.
"The week before February 23, I'm just going over all the paperwork and I told my wife, 'This is not mine. This is not me because I don't have all these credit cards like this,'" Heard said.
The bank sent him credit information about a different James Heard.
"Congratulations," read the letter from Bank of America to James Heard. "You've been approved for a loan."
"I'm going over the paperwork and it's another James Heard's Social Security number on it. I had James Heard's Discover Card number. I had James Heard's Visa Card number. I had his credit score, everything," he said.
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Heard called the bank. He said he still doesn't know if anybody else has his personal information.
"Your Social Security number is your lifeline now, and if it gets in the wrong hands, you are in trouble," he said. "I know everything about this other James Heard, and I know he doesn't know; and I know if he knew, he'd be mad like I'm mad."
Heard said, on top of it all, the bank turned him down.
Bank of America said in a statement:
"We had an isolated incident that resulted in incorrect customer information being sent to a loan applicant. We apologize for any inconvenience and are taking appropriate steps to protect the customer's account. We have also provided a full refund of the fees the customer paid."
