Consumer complaint received 2024-01-11
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY (CA)

In XX/XX/, I began XXXX leave for my XXXX. With my copious free time away from my regular job, I checked my credit report and found that my otherwise exceptional score, typically in the XXXX  or highest XXXX  had dipped to the XXXX, and I was very concerned and confused. I saw a tradeline I did not recognize related to XXXXTD RCS  which was apparently past due. I contacted the three major CRAs to dispute the tradeline, stating that the account was opened fraudulently and/or the result of ID theft. As legally required, within 30  days, each XXXX  investigated and ultimately deleted the tradeline. The results were as follows, with essentially this wording, from each CRA : " We have researched the credit account. Account # - XXXX The results are : THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DELETED FROM THE CREDIT FILE. If you have additional questions about this item please contact : TD RCSXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX, SC XXXX Phone : ( XXXX ) XXXX. '' I called the TD RCS number provided by the CRAs. I told TD that I did not recognize the account and that it was fraudulently opened using my name. I mentioned that I had submitted disputes with all the CRAs and that I was calling them to understand if there was anything else they needed me to do to ensure it was taken care of. The woman I spoke with assured me that if I had submitted a dispute, that this was all I needed to do. With the results, and confirmation from TD that my steps taken were sufficient, I felt I could rest easy knowing this identity theft crisis was averted. I also placed a fraud alert with each of the CRAs, good for a year. In addition, I disputed the address information connected to my credit reports related to the tradeline that I did not recognize to ensure that my credit reports are accurate. That address has since been deleted from my credit reports. My baby is now XXXX XXXX XXXX. During his XXXX  XXXX  today, I received a call from TD Bank. I picked it up wondering if it had to do with this prior matter. It was a call from their collections department stating that this account was past due and that I owed them a minimum payment of roughly {$1000.00}. I informed them that this account was the result of ID theft, and that the results of the CRA investigations confirm that I do not own the debt. They provided the customer service number so that I could tell them this fact again. I call that number. They pass me along to the fraud department. The fraud department then passes me back to the customer service department where I am then placed on hold for XXXX  minutes. I then call the customer service number again, which immediately transfers me without my knowledge to the collections department, which explains they can not help me and that I need to call the customer service number which I had initially called. I explain that this is a ridiculous circuitous mission of doom ( in not so many words ), and surely she can see this, and so what else is there that I can do? She also explains that the best way through this mess is to file " another fraud dispute. '' I told her that I hadn't even filed a first fraud dispute because when I told TD that I was the victim of identity theft, the representative told me my actions with the CRAs were sufficient. She explained this was inaccurate information. Frustrated, and dealing with a screaming infant, I call the fraud department. After two call attempts, where I am placed on hold for approximately XXXX minutes each time, I hang up. On the final attempt where I once again try the customer service line hoping to reach someone who can help, I kid you not, the man on the phone in the middle of supposedly looking up my account -- without even explaining what he was going to do -- transfers my call to an automated message that can't be stopped about TD 's XXXX XXXX  or some nonsense that I could purchase. It shouldn't be this hard to get some support dealing with identity theft from the creditor that had the bad guardrails in place to permit this fraudulent activity in the first place. I have no bandwidth right now as a new mother, and I shouldn't be dealing with this issue, given my attempts to resolve them. In fact, I am curious as to why there was not a cease debt collection flag following the treble CRA investigations and whether their inaction rises to the level of an FCRA and/or FDCPA violation. It seems as though this debt is being collected by TD as an original creditor and it has not yet been sold off to a third party debt collector. That said, I was told time after time by every department that no department speaks to any other department at TD Bank. This creates a XXXX  awful, absurd, and infuriating-beyond-belief experience for the consumer where they are left going around and around in circles like crazy people. At a minimum, their actions warrant internal operations improvement to avoid consumer harm, and at a maximum, their actions perhaps constitute unfair practices. I now give up trying to resolve my issue with TD Bank and turn to everyone 's favourite consumer watchdog for support. Thank you in advance for your existence and help. Let 's hope XXXX doesn't eviscerate the one tool people have to deal with financial institutions that behave badly.