And then the lender sent a statement to a the credit agencies stating that you'd taken money from them (libel), and those agencies believed the libel and re-pub

And then the lender sent a statement to a the credit agencies stating that you'd taken money from them (libel), and those agencies believed the libel and re-published it (more libel), causing financial damage to you (inability to borrow money). You are the victim of libel by the banks & credit agencies. They're the victims of fraud by the person(s) they lent the money to. There's no need (other than to protect the banks & credit agencies) to bundle both crimes together, call them "identity theft", and blame it on the individual victim!