Consumer complaint received 2023-08-21
Company: ProCollect, Inc.
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was result of identity theft

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX I was notified through my XXXX XXXX account of a debt collection on my credit report for {$14000.00}. I called the debt collection agency, ProCollect to get all of the details for this account. I have lived in my current home in XXXX XXXX, TX from XX/XX/XXXX to present. This apartment lease was taken out in my name in XX/XX/XXXX. I have had multiple issues with identity theft since my purse with social security card was stolen in XXXX. 

ProCollect was not in the least bit interested in hearing my claims that this was identity theft... they did give me details of the apartment complex. They asked that I send them the police report once filed - I immediately filed a police report - the report is attached. I followed the instructions of ProCollect and emailed the police report to XXXX. I emailed them the report # first XX/XX/XXXX and again with the actual police report XX/XX/XXXX. 

From the information I gathered from ProCollect, I was able to contact the apartment, XXXX at XXXX XXXX. I was able to gather a few additional details from XXXX, one of their leasing agents. Details included emergency contacts, an email address, and the length of the lease, XXXX XXXX XXXX. The XXXX XXXX using my identity was evicted XX/XX/XXXX for not making a single payment. 

An additional collection account popped up on my XXXX XXXX report on XX/XX/XXXX. I called the collector, XXXX, to let them know this was identity theft and was able to get additional details from them regarding this XXXX XXXX XXXX account that was fraudulently opened in my name. The address on the XXXX & XXXX account was the apartment - XXXX at XXXX XXXX  address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX. I filed a police report for this incident, sent it to XXXX, and was able to get it dismissed from my credit report immediately. 

I shared all of this information with Investigator XXXX XXXX who was assigned my case. 

I have since filed disputes for the ProCollect claim with all three credit bureaus. I additionally froze my credit report with all three credit bureaus. I have unfrozen as needed and only for a day at a time - only to be rejected because of the ProCollect claim on my report. I have not been able to open any additional lines of credit or cosign leases or loans from my college-aged children. 

This summer I took a day off of work just to work on resolving this... I have to help my youngest son get a loan for his freshman year of college and the lenders need to access my credit report. Once again, we will be rejected because of this collection claim. I have called the investigator on the case, XXXX XXXX. He offered to try to reach out to ProCollect on my behalf. When he called, he was told to send his credentials, which he did. He never heard from them. Because of the urgency, I also called ProCollect. I was told they can not share any details with Investigator XXXX- they will only share information with my spouse, my attorney or me. I asked what I could do in regard to this collection. I was told that they never received my police report or ID last year when I reported it. XX/XX/XXXX Once again I sent an email with attachments of report and driver 's license. This time I was told to send to a different email address - XXXX. I was also told they would need 30 days to review. I called today XX/XX/XXXX and was told they reviewed and it was decided that it was an accurate charge and I just needed to pay my bills. 

Let me know any additional information you need from me in regard to this case.

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