Doctor battles Bell's Virgin Mobile for six months over $2,400 bill she never racked up

For the past six months, Wing Sum Tang has battledVirgin Mobile over $2,400 in wireless charges she never racked up. In fact, she has never even been a customer with Virgin, a wireless provider owned by Bell.

But someoneopened an account in the name "Wing Tang," and Virgin targeted Tang when the charges went unpaid.

From the outset, Tang, a Toronto-area family physician, hascontended she's a victim of identity theft. Although she fileda police report and provided Virgin with documents to prove her innocence, the Bell subsidiarycontinued to demand its money. Tangsaid Virgineven sent a collectionagency after her.

"They're trying to make the victim pay," she said. "A typical case of a big corporation which doesn't care."

After CBC News reached out to Bell this week, the telco offered Tang an apology. Bellstated that it has now concluded she isn't responsible for the charges and thatthis appears to be a case of "mistaken identity" in a fraud case.

Tang says she's relieved, but is still upset over the time she spenttrying to clear her name.

"Idefinitely can't get that back," she said."Six months of my life and all the back and forth that I had to go through, all the accusations suggesting that I'm lying."

'I was in disbelief'

Tang's saga began in early October when she received a mailed letter from Virgin stating that a charge of$148was past due on her account.

She contactedVirgin Mobile's fraud department and provided evidenceshe wasn't behind the account. This includeddocumentsshowing that she has a wireless plan with Rogersand that personalinformationVirgin had for her was wrong.

Tang said she also told Virgin aboutan incidentin July shebelieves is related.In that case, someone opened an account with Freedom Mobileusinghername and ran up a big bill. Within three weeks, Freedom had determined the account was fraudulent and that she wasn't responsible for the charges.

Following her conversation with Virgin, Tang waited for newsabouther current case. Instead,about three weeks later she received another letter, this time demanding a payment of $2,400. Virginsaid if she didn't pay "immediately," her account would be sent to a collectionagency.

"I was in disbelief and obviously very upset," said Tang."I didn't hear back [from Virgin] and then I just got a giant bill."

Tang said she called Virginand learned that its fraud department had determinedno fraud had occurred and the charges she faced were valid.

"That was their conclusion, and it didn't matter what I had to tell them," she said. "It seems they're more interested in recovering their money."

Tang turned totheToronto police, who are still investigating her case. She also filed a complaint with theCommission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS), an industry group that rules on consumer telecom disputes.

According to submitted documents, Virgin told the CCTS the matter had been "resolved"with Tang still owing $2,400. She rejected thatresolution,so the CCTSbegan investigating her complaint.

"VirginMobile [is] persisting and persisting and persistingdespite all the steps that I have taken," said Tang.

Frustrated by the situation, herhusband, RaviKhindri sent a complaintto Virgin's executive office last week. Hecondemnedthe wireless providerfor how it has handled the case and insisted that it cancel the charges.Virgin declined.

"There'vebeen many sleepless nights," said Khindri, also a Toronto-area family physician. "We just want to move on with our life, have this taken away."

'2 people with similar names'

Bell said it now knows enough about the wireless account in question to exonerate Tang.

"We've had the opportunity to continue our investigation into this very complicated case,"said spokesperson Jacqueline Michelis in an email to CBC News.

She said the account was set up in August 2017 by a "Wing Tang" and that there was no indication of fraudulent activityuntil this past September when big charges were racked up for overseas calls and the phone bill went unpaid.

Michelis said Bell now realizes it was targeting the wrong person.

"Our fraud team has deepened its investigation into new scenarios of subscription fraud and what looks to be a case of mistaken identity involving two people with similar names."

She said the investigation will continue.