Can you steal a business identity?

[willingtocope]

Okay, I know this board is about personal debt and I keep bringing up business stuff, but here's a question maybe someone can answer.

Is it possible to steal a business identity? The background: we have a small consulting business that, while insolvent, is still formally in business. Our few remaining employees resigned and formed their own company...then contacted all our clients telling them to send all outstanding receivables to their attorney. No court order, no suit, nothing...just a letter from their lawyer. We can't afford an attorney to fight this, but can I file a police report?

[anti-something]

i'm in no way a law expert, but what they did seems wrong, the way you put it, it sounds like straight out theft. i would try to find out (call some lawyers for a 'free initial phone consulatation') and see if what their attorney did was wrong, if it is report them to the bar

if these outstanding receivables are owed to your company i just dont see how your ex-employees could steal it like that. did they steal the company name too? did you have employment contracts with these people limiting what they could do if they left the company? if you had anything like that, that says the employees cannot take clients with them when they leave i would file suit against all them immediately to stop it in its tracks.

i would also contact all your clients telling them to ignore the company, you are after all, still in business.

[willingtocope]

Anti...thanks for the reponse.

Problem is we filed BK 7 to protect us from corporate debts AND since all our employees left, we have no income. Living on unemployment. So, we can't afford an attorney, and the ones we have talked with want up front money.

So...question is, can I file a police report? I need some way to hassle these folks and get their attention.