Consumer complaint received 2022-06-08
Company: TrueAccord Corp.
State: OK
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
In XXXX of XXXX, I began receiving unsolicited text messages from the phone number XXXX that read : This is TrueAccord, a debt collector. Your account has been placed with us. View your account summary XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. Reply STOP to opt out of SMS. 


I received these text messages every two days. The message and link would change slightly with every text. 
They all started out the same with : This is TrueAccord, a debt collector. And they all ended with : Reply STOP to opt out of SMS. 
The variations are noted below : Click to learn more about payment options : XXXX XXXX XXXX We have an opportunity to work with you! View your options : XXXX : XXXX Your account summary is available online. View it now : XXXX  : XXXX Your late balance was placed with us. Visit XXXX  : XXXX Great news! You have a 50 % deduction available on this account : XXXX  : XXXX You can save {$310.00} by accepting our offer : XXXX : XXXX Want to save 50 % on this account? See your payment offer : XXXX  : XXXX XXXX, you have some unfinished business. Work with us : XXXX  : XXXX Guess what? Were offering a discount on this plan : XXXX XXXX XXXX 
Need flexibility? Try customizing your own plan : XXXX : XXXX. 
You can resolve this account at a discount! View offer : XXXX  : XXXX. 

These look exactly like the type of text messages and links that are termed as phishing by Cyber Security professionals and are usually deemed unsafe to follow.

Despite the fact that after each of these text messages I replied with the word STOP, I continued to receive text messages every other day. This last one was received at XXXX on Friday XXXX. 

Instead of replying STOP to this last one, I sent the reply : These text messages do not meet the requirements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and I dispute any claim that they make regarding a debt owed by me to this or any other company. I do not now, nor have I ever in the past, done any business or owed any money to any company by the name TrueAccord. 

After sending this reply, the texts stopped coming in. The company began sending me email every other day, beginning on XXXX. 

These emails state that TrueAccord is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt owed to XXXX XXXX XXXX, in the amount of {$620.00} US.

Again, this communication does not contain all required statements and requirements as provided by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. 
The emails were sent from the account named XXXX XXXX. Email address XXXX. 

On XXXX, I sent regular mail to the company XXXX XXXX XXXX at both the addresses I was able to find online. One for disputes ; XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, SC XXXX ; and one for their Compliance Department : Compliance Department XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, SC XXXX. This mail that I sent was a hard copy dispute of any debt I owed to XXXX XXXX  and a request to produce validation documentation and proof of such debt. 

Both were received and signed for on XXXX. 
Also on XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX made a negative report on my account with XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Although I have not checked, It is not out of the realm of possibility that the company did this with all four credit bureaus. 
This timing hardly seems coincidental. 

I continued to receive emails from XXXX XXXX at TrueAccord every other day until I responded to one on XXXX again disputing the claims of debt owed and requesting validation documentation. 
On XXXX I received an email from XXXX XXXX ( TrueAccord ), email address : XXXX Stating that the account owner, XXXX XXXX XXXX, has been notified of the dispute and an investigation is ongoing. 

Even though I have never had any correspondence whatsoever from XXXX XXXX  XXXX regarding a debt owed, they have placed a negative report with at least one credit bureau ; presumably all four. 
This negative report was created after the company was aware of my dispute by hard copy letter. 
After being informed of this dispute by both myself and TrueAcord, the company XXXX XXXX has not updated its reports to the credit buraus to indicate that the debt is disputed. 
This does permanent harm to my credit rating and so limits me in various ways. 

It appears that there are currently two companies claiming to service this one debt. 
It has been over thirty days ( 30 ) since my dispute was received and signed for by a representative of XXXX XXXX XXXX, yet I have received no contact from them what-so-ever ; not even an acknowledgement of the dispute. 
It has been over thirty ( 30 ) days since acknowledgement of my dispute by TrueAccord, yet I have received no further information regarding its validity from them.

I reiterate that no debt was ever owed. The claim that I owe {$620.00} US is fraudulent and has always been so.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation