(ITP) - A local Blockbuster store, it's franchise owner and several employees were served with a lawsuit today asking for unspecified damages in a case involving identity theft, libel and harassment. The lawyer for Mrs. Vanessa Williams, Mr. Wilfred Laurier, Esq., has stated that the suit is centered on unauthorized movie and game rentals on his clients account, identity theft of his clients Blockbuster membership account and harassment of his client by the staff of the Blockbuster franchisee. "It all started when someone used my client's phone number to impersonate her and to access her Blockbuster rental account without authorization and rent games and movies," said Mr. Laurier. "These items were never returned by the person or persons committing the fraud, at which time the Blockbuster staff then began a campaign of harassment against my client for unpaid, overdue and missing items which culminated in a collection agency going to small claims court against my client for the money owed for these same missing items." Mr. Laurier contends that Blockbuster is wholly responsible for allowing a system the invites abuse and fraud and they should have, in no way, been allowed to continually attempt to retrieve the fraudulently obtained items from his client, who did not have them and never had possession of them. "If you can walk into a Blockbuster Video Store and rent anything by simply giving the staff a phone number, then they should ultimately be responsible for the items return since they have not, in actuality, verified the identity of the renter." Mr. Laurier is asking for an unspecified dollar amount in damages for harm done to his client's reputation, for stress-related ailments suffered by his client, and he may seek class-action lawsuit status if he discovers more individuals that have been financially and emotionally harmed by the actions of Blockbuster Video over missing rental items.

TELL A FRIEND