Consumer complaint received 2024-03-24
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: Southwest Credit Systems, L.P. (NY)

To CFPB Fraud/Identity Theft/Dispute Department : I am writing this letter because I am a victim of Identity Theft and the creation of a Fraud account. 

I spoke to a XXXX XXXX, the Supervisor, of Southwest Credit Sys., a collection agency, on XX/XX/XXXX regarding this matter. I explained the entire situation to him and he told me to send my supporting documents to his web address, which I have done. 

Here is the entire story from beginning to present time, XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a bill from a collection agency called XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
The original creditor was listed as " XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. 

At that time, back in XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke to XXXX  directly. I filed a dispute and fraud case at that time with each Credit Bureau. I also spoke to XXXX XXXX XXXX directly, that same day. They reviewed the transaction and had discovered it was filed by someone in XXXX. This was/is not my account. XXXX  had already marked this charge as fraud as I live and have lived in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX all my life, have never been to XXXX  and have documents I am sending to prove this, further proving this {$1800.00} is complete fraud and I am not responsible for any of it. 

I called XXXX at that time and was told that this account was opened and closed the day after, way back in XX/XX/XXXX! It was written off by XXXX XXXX, according to what they told me verbally over the phone. 

In addition, I received from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX that this matter was investigated by them and concluded this was a fraudulent account, and subsequently deleted the hard inquiry from my credit report. 

Therefore, I assumed for that whole year at XX/XX/XXXX, that the matter was resolved completely as I received no further communication regarding this by XXXX XXXXXXXX, or XXXX XXXX themselves. 

So I was therefore surprised and extremely upset to receive a letter from a different collection agency, XXXX, XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX, almost a year after getting a bill from the first collection agency, XXXX XXXX XXXX! 

I have compared the collection letter from XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX  and the collection letter from this new agency, XXXX, XXXX. They both how the exact same account number, the exact same date of the bill and the exact same amount of {$1800.00}. This letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX is a duplicate, fraudulent charge. 

I again did the following : a ) called XXXX XXXX ; b ) filed a dispute with all of the XXXX credit bureaus. Again, I was told by XXXX XXXX that this account was written off and closed in XXXX. 

Again, I was told by XXXX XXXX the matter was resolved and closed ; it was a fraudulent account. I called XXXX XXXX subsequently to the telephone conversations, asking for written confirmation of this, but never got anything back in return. 

XXXX investigated the matter with the XXXX collection agency, XXXX XXXX ; the investigation confirmed it was a fraudulent account and the hard inquiry was REMOVED/Reversed from my credit bureaus. 

The second collection agency, XXXX, XXXX sent me a letter saying the entire account was returned to XXXX XXXX ; that they had nothing to do with the matter any longer as it was deemed fraud and to speak to XXXX XXXX about it.. 

So imagine my surprise when on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX showed a HARD inquiry from your collection agency, showing FOR THE THIRD TIME that I still owed this money, This is the THIRD TIME I have been harassed by collection agencies for a Fraudulent account that was created by someone in XXXX. 

I respectfully request that you look into this matter at your earliest convenience. I will be contacting XXXX XXXX for the 3rd time regarding this matter and again, requesting written confirmation this account is a fraudulent account and I should NOT be harassed by this yet again. 

Please see what you can do, if possible, regarding the permanent closure of this matter. 

I am sending all my supporting documents to Southwest Credit Sys. and XXXX XXXX as well as creating dispute forms on all XXXX credit bureaus. Will also be contacting XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding this harassment by XXXX XXXX itself. 

Thank you for listening. 

Best regards.