Consumer complaint received 2017-10-02
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: SC
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:
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from Synchrony Bank regarding charges on a Sam 's Club XXXX that I did not apply for. I went through all of the steps, filled out the paperwork, filed the reports, and began working with the local police department. Unfortunately, no one seems to care that your security is lost, only whether or not money is lost. Unsatisfied with how all aspects of this situation were going, my wife began doing research regarding what my rights were as a victim of Identity Theft and found the victims rights in the FCRA Section 609 ( e ). I went to the store, and the manager will not help me. So upon further research, we found the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX affidavit. I completed the affidavit, had the investigator sign, properly proved my identity and submitted my first formal request for compliance on XX/XX/XXXX ( the investigator never advised me of these rights, hence the delay in my requesting ). I received a call from a blocked number on XX/XX/XXXX that I did not answer and had a voice mail from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX department, stating that they needed verification of the last 4 numbers of " my '' account. " XXXX '' was the name she gave, with no return telephone number, only a fax number. I faxed over the letter received from Synchrony Bank on XX/XX/XXXX with the last 4 numbers on the letter. XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX had exceeded the time frame set forth in the FCRA, and I faxed them a notice of non-compliance, again, with all supporting documentation. On XX/XX/XXXX I received a call stating that I have to get the application from the store, that they are unable to locate the account, however they will email over the receipt momentarily. Again, with no contact number for this department, I faxed over a letter stating that they are now 4 days past the time frame set forth by the FCRA and that full compliance was expected. I received the receipt, which was pulled on XX/XX/XXXX, and has the credit account number on it! I called Synchrony Bank, who stated they are opening an investigation into this location, as the investigator working our account, who has seen the application, has stated that only 1 form on  identification was used, and only the last 4 numbers of the driver 's license was recorded. The investigator has also stated that the month and day do not match my date of birth, and I religiously check my credit reports and no variations of my date of birth have ever been recorded. I want, as I am entitled to receive, a copy of the application for credit as well as the membership application. I understand that Sam 's Club did not take my identity, however they completed disregarded the guidelines set forth, as the first line of defense, to prevent identity theft from occurring. They did not, according to our Investigator, write the full identification number on the application, they did not collect or request to see a secondary form of identification, and ignored the fact that someone walked into their locale, without a Sam 's Club Membership even, opened up a Sam 's Club Membership, opened up a Sam 's Club XXXX, and used said card to purchase TWENTY-ONE pre-paid {$200.00} XXXX. I want what the federal government has deemed I have the right to have.

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