Consumer complaint received 2023-01-18
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: NJ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Indicated you were committing crime by not paying debt

Complaint:
I am a victim of an identity thief. My Identity was used to open fraudulent credit cards and accounts. 
I generated an identity theft report and followed identitytheft.gov instructions to close all fraudulent accounts and remove all false information from my credit report. The only false record left is about the fraudulent account that Comenity Bank keeps saying belongs to me. 

Comenity Bank ( the reporting company ) received a few dispute requests from credit bureaus ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ) about this fraudulent account. But after their " investigation '', they continued to report this false information about me. 

Initially, I called Comenity Bank and asked them to investigate my case. But they denied accepting my request because that fraudulent account is too old and already closed and is not managed by Comenity Bank anymore. They told me that this account is managed by XXXX XXXX. I called XXXX XXXX  but they told me that they can't help me as well. 

Then I tried to do it another way and opened disputes via credit bureaus ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ). And after I received the dispute results I was surprised that Comenity Bank ( the reporting company ) verified that the disputed information was accurate, and continued publishing false information about me. 

After that, I tried to call Comenity Bank again, as I already know what the reporting company is. Every time they tried to end the call and send me to XXXX XXXX, I insisted to be connected to someone who worked on my case, did an investigation, and confirmed that false information in my credit report is accurate. 

Long call, talking to different people from their support when finally I was connected to the Fraud Investigation Department XXXX. This guy was rude, yelling at me, interrupting, intentionally started talking to me at the same time I was talking, and stopped when I stopped. He was showing that he wasn't interested in helping me at all. 

I asked him to tell me what did they do during their investigation to confirm the disputed account belongs to me. And the only answer was that they had proof of my address ( which is false information as well ). I was curious and asked him how did they prove this false address is correct if I haven't been living in the XXXX at that time. The guy on the other side of the call attacked me in response and compared me to fraudsters who try to get rid of their debts. He put me on a hold few times, he was intentionally chewing during the call, declined to accept my report on that fraudulent account a few times, and played with words not to give any promise but get rid of me. As he didn't or couldn't help me I asked him to connect me with someone who can help me. But without luck. I spent around XXXX hours on that call but the Comenity Bank Fraud Investigation Department hasn't helped me at all. I was told that someone from the bank will call me back, but as I understand now it was just another game of words. 

It was the most uncomfortable call in my life. I was insulted by such unprofessional and offensive behavior. 
Moreover, I feel unsafe after that call as long as I'm not sure if that guy who has access to my personal information won't use it to make my life more complicated. 

I opened other disputes with credit bureaus but Comenity Bank continues to publish false information about me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation