Consumer complaint received 2018-04-04
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NC
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Card opened as result of identity theft or fraud

Complaint:
Last year 2016, I went to file my taxes and had discovered someone had already filled in my name. So I went through a whole process of identity theft which took 5 months to resolve with the IRS, before I could even get any of my tax money. This year they provided me with a pin to use to file. Although, I had a pin to use when it was time to submit my taxes I received a letter by mail stating they needed a form due to me having insurance through the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. In fact I do not have insurance through the XXXX XXXX, I have insurance through my employer XXXX XXXX. After calling around several places, to see who in fact had insurance in my name. When I called the XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX, they provided me with the name of the XXXX XXXX, and also provided her XXXX and told me to reach out to XXXX. When I called XXXX of GA, they also saw a plan in my name using my social and told me that whoever had the plan was making payments on this plan. I had to explain to them that I was in fact XXXX XXXX, gave my social and let them know that was not my health plan and that I have insurance through my employer. They also provided me with an address for the person. When I XXXX the address it came up as a house for sale, which means XXXX just used a random address. This prompted me to place an identity theft alert using my social and that where I saw the Walmart Credit Card. It stated it was closed, but still had an outstanding balance. This is not my account, nor balance. I filed a complaint with the company and received a denial letter, my claim was denied because the person was making payments, and that I benefited from this account. How? I don't know. Then I was asked how I filed a police report. My answer was how, when I don't even know where this person lives. I do know shes lives in the state of GA. And thats about it. I am not the only person she has victimized. Anybodys taxes she had done over the years are all victims as well. We have no help due to this person moving all around the world, so the police are unable to assist. She is very smart, to the point she works in XXXX XXXX companies, getting access to people personal information, and now she works for a credit company that fixes people credit. This is exactly how this person gained access to my information, but once doing my taxes. It's not hard these days to use other people information to get what you want. I have reached out to all of her employers from different XXXX XXXX to her new employer XXXX XXXX. I do not even shop in walmart because of an issue I came across, when buying my niece a doll. They had a XXXX doll on sale for {$11.00} and the same exact doll in XXXX XXXX for {$39.00}. Of course since they price match, they were willing to give me the doll for that price. But after that I no longer wanted it. I don't even know how to make payment for this account, because I have no information.

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 explanation