Consumer complaint received 2015-08-04
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Identity theft / Fraud / Embezzlement

Complaint:
I just want to send a letter regarding the bizarre and incredible lack of continuity I have received from Synchrony Bank in relation to a recent ID theft. 

Approximately XX/XX/2015 I sent a fax to Synchrony Bank requesting that my wife be added to my Gap at at Synchrony Bank. 

Approximately a week later I started receiving alerts from XXXX about activity on my account. XXXX is a credit monitoring service. 

I called Chevron/Synchrony and a fraudulent account had been opened in my name. The fraud department representative I first spoke with was named XXXX. He was aggressive and unusually improper with how he handled the situation, he threatened me saying that if I did not give him my mothers maiden name I would be held responsible for all ongoing charges to the new account. It seemed very improper to me so I got off the phone and contacted XXXX for help. 

XXXX contacted Synchrony again and stayed on the line while I went through the process of closing all accounts due to fraudulent activity. I had to speak with XXXX different representatives at Synchrony. XXXX of them were outsourced and very difficult to deal with. 

I then received an email from Synchrony Bank dated XX/XX/2015 that stated my wife had been successfully added to the Gap account. I noticed that the address on the email pdf was not mine. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXXI called Synchrony again and reported the address change. The key here is that the correspondence was regarding the Gap card, but what I know know is that whoever stole the info was somewhere in-between the Gap card request made via fax and the Chevron Visa cards that were created fraudulently. 

The next day I received XXXX credit cards from Chevron/Synchrony Bank with XXXX different names on them. XXXX with my name on it and XXXX with complete strangers. 

I called Synchrony Bank and alerted them to the situation, I spoke with fraud CSR XXXX ID XXXX. She gathered all the fraudulent credit card info, names and address of fraudulent cards and transferred me to the lost and stolen card department to have the account closed. She explained that the account had not been closed previously, the it was indicted that I had contacted Synchrony to dispute charges, not to confirm fraudulent activity. It is untrue and incorrect and your recorded customer service lines will prove that. 

I then received a statement with charges amounting to {$4300.00} and called Synchrony again, this time spoke with fraud CSR XXXX who explained that the account was indeed closed, to disregard all statements of activity and that I would receive a fraud claim affidavit to sign and return and in approximately 30 days a final fraud resolution letter. 

The troubles and misinformation I am having with Synchrony surpass anything I could imagine from a credit company and I have chosen to close my only other Synchrony Bank account which was a Gap account. 
As soon as I receive an acknowledgment from Synchrony of any kind I will open a police report and encourage them to be in touch with Synchrony as soon as possible.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief