Consumer complaint received 2019-08-14
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Information belongs to someone else

Complaint:
I have been a victim of identity fraud multiple times over, despite freezes, legal and police reports. In XXXX, I went to open a checking account with XXXX XXXX and they were able to pull up a few different people ( all XXXX ) that were not me. They said it was a typo, likely, however to get that looked at. I locked my credit at the time. 

In XXXX I went to XXXX and began using them to further protect myself. 

In XX/XX/XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ), there was an application for credit through Synchrony Bank Financing. XXXX notified me of this as it was an SSN match, however the DOB and name were not a match ( this all happened again in XX/XX/XXXX, almost a year later ). 

When alerted, I called to report it as it wasn't me, and then speaking with Synchrony ( with XXXX ) I verified this was not me, that I was a victim of identity theft and asked them to close it/flag it and remove it from my credit report. They said it was a typo and that the applicant likely made a mistake in verifying their SSN. I told them that I was a victim of identity theft and was under the impression they shut it down. Unfortunately, they didn't and kept it through. 
This brings us to this year, in XX/XX/XXXX : I was notified by XXXX about an application for credit that wasn't me through Synchrony Bank ( in XX/XX/XXXX ) This was a match with my SSN, no name and no DOB. ( WOW, its the exact same situation, almost a year later ). called with XXXX to have the application removed and was told I must sign a document that they would send to me in order for it to be removed, verifying that the application was fraudulent. Of course, I asked the name of the thief and they said they couldn't provide it. I also was a bit weirded out that they would ask for a signature, as that hadn't happened with previous banks. ( or the previous time with Synchrony ). They also notified me that the application for credit that was recently placed in a jewelry store in XXXX. When I called the retailers ( the jewelry store ) to get more information ( it didn't look like a real business ), they only spoke XXXX and hung up on me. 

About a week later, my spider sense was tingling, so I called Synchrony back and asked them to clarify a bit more as to why I was asked to complete a signed form for them to take the application off of my file when it obviously was a repeat case ( that seemed weird to me ). I spoke with a different associate who reassured me that I wouldn't be sent anything, that the previous rep was mistaken and not to worry. I confirmed with her and she said that I would NOT have to sign anything. It was taken care of. 

Well, lo and behold, they sent me a letter in XXXX two weeks later XXXX NO ENGLISH translation, no phone number ) addressed to XXXX XXXX, apologizing that she is a victim of identity fraud. The address to send it back to was in English as " Card Processing '' which is why I called them back, this time the fraud department, and asked again what was going on. 

I called a second time ( to Synchrony Bank ) as I felt an odd sense about the previous call. I told them to check in the fraud department and a woman there told me that there were two credit cards opened tied to my SSN, with no DOB and Name match. The open credit card files and accounts were for a Care Credit card ( XXXX, XXXX AND XXXX ) and Walmart credit card ( XXXX ) ( both through Synchrony Bank ). She confirmed she sent this in letter form to me and I received both notifications addressed to XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX ( one in English, one in XXXX ), both were to apologize for XXXX being a victim of identity theft and that the credit cards ending in XXXX were closed. 

When I received this lovely info, I called again and have been sent two fraud investigation affidavits and am going to attach these to my  XXXX accounts. Additionally, I have received statements of each transaction, store locations and it looks the Walmart ones are being paid off, in store ( at least there's that, I guess ... ..both are {$500.00} credit limits ). 

I am truly at a loss. Every time I call credit bureaus, XXXX, Banks, they all advise me to place a freeze on all three credit bureaus and a 7 year feud alert -- -I HAVE A FREEZE PER EACH BUREAU, AS WELL AS THE 7 YEAR ALERT ON ALL AGENCIES. When an associate of XXXX called XXXX with me, they verified I had no credit accounts with Care Credit, Walmart or new application alerts on my report. 

I asked them why there was another credit file created tied to my SSN. He ran a report and cross referenced my SSN and found there was a separate credit profile/file for XXXX XXXX ( as well as XXXX XXXX and likely XXXX XXXX ) with different DOB and address with those credit files open, separate from my file. 

The issue now is that there has been another person ( name is XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ) with MY social security number. I also received a notification from the IRS in XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX to notify me that my SSN was used to obtain employment in XXXX and they placed a marker on my tax account as a victim of identity fraud. ( That year I also received a from the IRS previously notifying me in XXXX that someone filed taxes with my SSN -- this was a follow up ). This ALL terrifies me and is getting super NOT fun when I have to take off work to deal with this ( it's so lame to get 4-5 different answers from Synchrony ). EACH TIME AN APPLICATION GOES THROUGH, each of these happened AFTER I placed a security freeze on all 3 bureaus, with an extended 7 year fraud alert ) : ( here is the history ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXXe ( flagged /fraud, let 's hope ) ( SSN match only ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX Card ( flagged, fraud let 's hope ) ( SSN match only ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXXt AGAIN ( Application alert, no marker although there was a case opened, resolved and closed with XXXX as Power of Attorney XXXX notarized police reports, affidavits, FTC , etc, documents proving identity as mine, alone ) XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Application ( name, DOB and SSN match ) shut down XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX   XXXX ( Application, flagged AGAIN and still attempting to go through ) XX/XX/XXXX Synchrony Bank XXXX Financing ( Application flagged, wanted me to sign documentation, then when calling back, they gave 2 sets of different instructions and notified me of two fraudulent accounts/credit cards opened and active when cross-referencing my SSN ... .and the saga continues below ) Now : When I previously opened up a legal and police report with XXXX and ran credit reports through all three bureaus, I identified several accounts NOT mine. I notified the agencies, through XXXX ( ALL on file ) and identified the following information on my credit report : Addresses in XXXX XXXX, CA and XXXX, CA ( both contested and removed from my credit reports ). I also notified all bureaus that the XXXX XXXX Care Credit card ( XXXX, XXXX XXXX and Walmart credit card ( XXXX ) ( both through Synchrony Bank ) were fraudulent and removed from my credit report. Also, the XXXX XXXX account which was also fraudulent and removed. All was removed and supposedly flagged as fraudulent! 

Unfortunately, Synchrony, as well as the credit bureaus, created a separate, synthetic credit file and stupidly, sent the tracking of all credit activities and card numbers to me in the mail, along with confirmation that poor " XXXX XXXX and XXXX '' were identified as " victims ''. When I called AGAIN, the woman at Wallmart fraud alerts was blatantly rude, abrasive and after many attempts of trying to resolve the issues and get the correct information ( she also insinuated I was stupid ), she interupted me and placed me on hold. I waited and no return so I hung up and called back. Twice. Different answers BOTH times. Finally, they sent me a fraud affadavit and I completed both forms and sent it in. 

I called XXXX and they confirmed that there was a synthetic file and told me they would have Special Handling call and resolve it. Yesterday, they called and had no idea what I was talking about and that they could not do that. 

When I called to have these removed, I was told they would write me to confirm these were flagged as fraudulent and would remove these from the synthetic credit file. 

When notifying the credit bureaus last year and banks -- they were notified of the fraudulent activity/accounts and instead of actually closing and eliminating and flagging the synthetic files, they simply transferred it into a false credit file. This is a huge issue that proves these bureaus are negligent in simply running SSN searches as they continue to let this happen. SHAME ON THE continual offenders : Synchrony, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ( as well as XXXX, who should have flagged the name, DOB and SSN as fine AS A FROZEN CREDIT ACCOUNT and removed the application inquiry ). 

Is there a way to shut the separate file off and to make sure my information is protected moving forward? Why am I paying for a credit freeze and fraud alert if the bureaus themselves are dirty????? 

It looks like if she were to default on these, it will impact me. 

How do I keep this from happening AGAIN. If it's this easy for them to create fraudulent accounts and use my SSN, can no one help me??? 

I just purchased the credit monitoring through XXXX as well ( again, frozen and locked there too ). Is that just setting myself up for another breach to get XXXX XXXX again as well? XXXX has been my only source of comfort and even then, the banks and bureaus don't seem to care or follow the law. 

I have also filed two police reports and am still trying to get some answers.

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