Consumer complaint received 2018-07-31
Company: Perfection Collection
State: OR
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
I first learned of a collection agency debt to XXXX XXXX XXXX  for nearly {$5000.00} for an alarm company when I got a copy of my credit report on XX/XX/2018. 
I sent a validation letter certified to Perfection Collection demanding proof that I owe the alleged debt, which was received on XX/XX/XXXX. 
They replied with an offer to settle for 75 % of the original alleged debt and a copy of a contract with only my first and last name matching : * The installation and billing address has never been associated with me in any way. I have never even been to the town listed. 
* The customer phone number has never been associated with me or anyone I know. 
* The email address has never been associated with me. 
* The signature on the alleged contract does not match mine. 
* I have never had any contact or business with the alarm company. 
* The spouse listed as spouse in the emergency call list is not my spouse or anyone I have ever met or had any contact with. 
* The phone number listed for the spouse is not a number I have ever had any contact with. 

I disputed the debt online with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  replied : The company that reported the information has certified to XXXX that the information is accurate. This item was not changed as a result of our processing of your dispute. Please review your report for the details. 
According to my credit card FICO history between XX/XX/2018 and  XX/XX/2018 my FICO score declined by 138 with no negative information other than the Perfection Collection listing. 
I called Perfection Collection and explained to someone who identified as XXXX XXXX that none of the information on the alleged contract matched me or my verifiable details, but he said the only way he could help me is if I provided a person who committed fraud for them to collect from. 
I asked to talk to his supervisor and was transferred to XXXX XXXX. I told her again that none of the information on the form matched mine. She read me a date of birth and social security number that were not listed anywhere on the paperwork her company provided me and said that proved the account was mine. She repeated the only way to get them to respond to my proof that this is not my account was to provide a name of a person being prosecuted for fraud. She said a police report was not enough. 
I called my local police to report fraud. An officer called back and offered to speak to Perfection Collection on my behalf after hearing some details about the debt Perfection Collection alleged that I owe. 

The officer called back to let me know that Perfection Collection told him the same thing as they told me, that a person had to be identified by law enforcement as committing fraud in order for them to remove the negative information from my credit report. He explained to me it was easy to get a date of birth and social security number online, despite me never having provided them. He asked that I forward the validation letter and other supporting documents to him. 
The officer contacted me again to share a case number and to say a suspect with my first name but a different last name at the address on the contract was in his database with an alias of matching my first and last name. He called Perfection Collection and said I was the wrong person and they said they wouldn't do anything about it until someone was prosecuted. 
I reported Perfection Collection to my states division of financial regulation, and learned that Perfection Collection does not have a license to do any collection activities in my state. 
Perfection Collection is not licensed to operate in Oregon and refused to remove a debt from my credit report they knew to be not mine. Anything that can help prevent them from continuing this abusive behavior to other innocent people would be highly welcome.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation