Consumer complaint received 2021-03-11
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: FL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Card opened as result of identity theft or fraud

Complaint:
A fraudulent card from Synchrony Paypal was opened in my name, unbeknownst to me, in XXXX of XXXX, presumably in the XXXX, GA area. I live in XXXX, Florida. My first knowledge of this was in XX/XX/XXXX when I received a debt collection letter. I called Synchrony Bank and asked what this was about and they told me that I no longer had any debt with them. Another letter came in either XXXX or XXXX, and again I called Synchrony and the same response, no money owed. 

My wife and I then applied for pre-approval for a home loan which was denied because I had over {$4000.00} of unpaid credit card bills under my name. Up until now I thought the credit card letters were a scam. So, I run my credit report, see that it is Synchrony Paypal and immediately take action to fix this. I call Synchrony and file a disputer and I disputed through XXXX. I was told it would take up to 60 days to determine the status. This is on XX/XX/XXXX. 

At this point my credit is in the mid to low XXXX 's which is the lowest I have even seen it and this has already affected my ability to get approved for a loan which we then lost the ability to get a house we wanted to purchase. I have an near perfect payment history on all credit cards and bills dating back decades, all of which can be proven with documents. 

About a month later, around XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, Synchrony send me a letter denying my dispute. At this point, my credit had be bumped back up to the high XXXX 's and then brought back down because of Synchrony Paypal denying my dispute. They claimed that I had knowledge of this credit card and that I benefited from the usage of it. I NEVER KNEW THIS CARD EXISTED AND NEVER SAW A SINGLE DOLLAR FROM THIS USE OF THIS CARD. 

So, I call Synchrony back the day I received the letter, around XX/XX/XXXX, and refiled a dispute. The woman I spoke to was not cooperative and helpful besides just telling me that my dispute is filed again and it will take up to 30 days at this point to be determined. I also refile the dispute with XXXX again, which was also denied along with my first dispute to XXXX. 

The next day, XX/XX/XXXX, I call Synchrony Paypal again and speak to a very nice and helpful fraud account manager. In speaking with her, we went through all the details of the fraudulent credit card to see where the issues might be. Obviously my name is on the card but any of my used emails was not listed and I was not told the email that was used. 
Nor was my cell phone number listed which is the only number I've used for over 10 years. The address used was a condo that I own in XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL and is being rented by the same tenant for three years. However, my tenant never received any mail because the fraudulent card was paperless. And, I have not lived at this address or used this address for any credit or financial purposed for over 9 years. 

Also when speaking to the account manager on XX/XX/XXXX, I requested records of all the payments that were made on the credit card. I did not receive these until after Synchrony Paypal had served me court papers and are now suing me for the {$4200.00} that was fraudulently spent with this card. 

When I received the statements, it is seemingly obvious to me that this is a total scam and that Synchrony Paypal is using their financial weight to pick on and bully innocent victims to pay back money that they never applied for, acquired, or used. As the statements clearly state, and I have copies of all of them, the fraudulent card was used in XXXX GA, not XXXX FL, where I live. And I can prove, if Synchrony Paypal can provide the timing of the purchases, that without a doubt, I was in the region of XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX FL when every single purchase on this card was made. 

Not only that, but all of the purchases made on this card were used as a scam. The scammer made a purchase, then waited a while and paid of the purchase. They would then call Synchrony Paypal back and dispute it, and there money was returned to them. The first time it was for around {$100.00}. The used it, paid it off, then disputed and were refunded the money. They then did this for around {$1000.00}, same process. They then did it for around {$4000.00} and yet again, the same process. 

All of these payments went to a website that does not have a physical address on the bank statement nor any sort of contacting information. What normal decent business does not have any identifying information about itself on a credit card statement. I didn't even know these things existed not do I have any knowledge on to go about doing such a scam. 

Again, I have a near perfect payment history for over decades. I am a mIddle school teacher and a small business owner. My wife and I work very hard to be productive good people and to provide a fun stable life for our children. This fraudulent credit card is completely out of the realm of anything that I would do to jeopardize my financial and stable life. 

I can unequivocally prove that I have never used this phantom website that Synchrony Paypal claims I used, I will open my bank statements to prove it. I do live in XXXX GA nor was I anywhere near there at the times these payments were made and I am not nearly tech savvy enough to make it seem like it could have been there. Again, this can be proved. 

Synchrony Paypal is using their deep pockets and resources to go after innocent identity theft victims to recuperate any money that their corrupted companies have overlooked. I will discontinue using anything with Paypal and Synchrony bank for they are not trustworthy to me anymore.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief