Consumer complaint received 2019-05-01
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: NC
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2019, three fraudulent charges were made to one of my two ( 2 ) Capital One visa credit card accounts. I received notification for two of the three charges that exceeded my spending alerts that I receive via text message. The charges were for : 1. XXXX {$0.00} 2. XXXX XXXX XXXX {$49.00} 3. XXXX {$49.00} Also on XX/XX/2019, I immediately issued a Fraud Alert to Capital One and disputed the three charges. Capital One opened up a Fraud Notice on my account, placed the card on hold, and issued me a new credit card. 

On or about XX/XX/2019, I placed a credit freeze on my social security number with all three credit reporting agencies. 

On XX/XX/2019, I received notification from my bank, XXXX XXXX, that my phone number was " blocked '' from being used with XXXX, and that payments were being rejected. My cell phone number was being blocked because it was " already registered to another account. '' I have had this cell phone number for 10+ years. However, I have never initiated payment or attempted to receive payment using XXXX via my phone number. XXXX XXXX immediately transferred me to their fraud department and instructed me to confirm my phone number by visiting an ATM and verifying the phone number in person, because my number was permanently " blocked '' for associated fraudulent use and/or synthetic identity theft. I then called XXXX, and XXXX would not answer my questions because I did not have a XXXX app, but instead instructed me to contact my bank directly with any concerns. 

On XX/XX/2019, I followed up with Capital One regarding the Fraud Alert on my account and informed the representative of my conversations with XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and the concern that pieces of my identity were being used to create other synthetic identities. I requested that Capital One do an isolated check using only my cell phone number to verify whether Capital One has any open, active accounts associated with my cell phone number other than the two ( 2 ) active accounts that I currently maintain. The associate checked her system, and then verified that her system showed that my cell phone number was currently associated with FOUR accounts. She put me on hold while she looked into how to flag the system and remove my cell phone number from the fraudulent accounts. 
However, when the Capital One representative took me off hold, she informed me that she spoke with her supervisor and was actually mistaken and misread her system, because they cross-checked their system with my social security number, and they found " no additional accounts associated '' with my social security number and cell phone number. 
Because I had already been alerted from XXXX XXXX about the possibility that individual pieces of my identity were likely being used to create new, synthetic identities, I asked the associate to confirm whether any additional accounts showed up as being associated with my identity using ONLY my cell phone number, mailing address, or email address individually. However, the representative refused to answer and instead stated that they " cross-checked '' all information with my social security number. 

To date, Capital One has still not confirmed what steps or actions it has taken to combat and prevent this or other synthetic identity fraud.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation