Consumer complaint received 2026-03-09 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Other problem
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern : I am filing this formal complaint against Barclays Bank Delaware regarding their handling of my credit card account ending in XXXX following a documented identity theft event. Barclays actions and failures to act have caused severe and ongoing financial harm to me despite my extensive, good-faith efforts to resolve this situation through their own customer service processes. In XX/XX/XXXX, I was the victim of an unauthorized phone porting attack, also known as a SIM swap, in which criminals fraudulently transferred my cellular phone number to a device they controlled. This attack was reported to law enforcement and is documented in a police report naming both me and my husband XXXX XXXX as victims. Using my ported phone number, the perpetrators gained unauthorized access to my Barclays credit card account ending in XXXX, which I had held since XXXX with a perfect, on-time payment history. Before I could contact Barclays to report the fraud, the perpetrators changed the mailing address on my account without my knowledge or consent. This single unauthorized change which Barclays permitted without adequate security controls set off a chain of failures that ultimately destroyed my credit. Barclays failed me at every stage of this process : 1. They allowed the unauthorized address change. Barclays permitted an identity thief to change the address on my account without any meaningful verification. This single failure made everything that followed inevitable. 2. Their verification process locked out the legitimate account holder. Because Barclays identity verification is address-dependent, once the fraudulent address change was made, I the actual account holder was systematically unable to pass their verification process. There was no alternative path offered to me as a fraud victim. 3. They repeatedly failed to process my identity documentation. I made multiple documented attempts to verify my identity and regain access to the account : On approximately XX/XX/XXXXXXXX within days of the porting attack I submitted identity verification documents via fax, including government-issued ID and proof of my correct address. On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a second formal fax submission with the same and additional documentation. On each occasion, after hours on hold and multiple transfers, I was told that Barclays could not read the documents or could not verify my identity. No alternative was offered, no escalation path was provided, and no one took ownership of the problem. 4. They charged off the account while my fraud dispute was unresolved. In XX/XX/XXXX, while my identity verification attempts were still pending, Barclays charged off the account. The original fraudulent activity was a single unauthorized charge of less than {$100.00}. The balance had grown to {$390.00} entirely through the accumulation of interest and late fees charges I never authorized and could not dispute because Barclays had locked me out of the account. I was not receiving statements because the fraudulently-changed address meant bills were never delivered to me. 5. They sent the account to collections without resolving the underlying fraud. The account was referred to XXXX XXXX XXXX, a third-party collection agency. I was only informed of this during one of my many calls to Barclays attempting to resolve the fraud. I ultimately paid the {$390.00} under protest solely to stop the ongoing damage to my credit. This payment was not an admission of liability. The Harm As a direct result of Barclays failures, I have suffered the following : Approximately a XXXX decrease in my credit score, despite a clean payment history on this account for over ten years Loss of over XXXX accumulated XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX account number XXXX ) earned through legitimate account activity since XXXX A forced payment of {$390.00} under protest to avoid further credit damage Countless hours spent on hold, being transferred, and submitting documentation all without resolution I am requesting that the CFPB investigate Barclays Bank Delawares handling of this matter and compel the following relief : 1. Deletion of the charge-off and all associated derogatory reporting from all three credit bureaus ( XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX ) 2. Removal of all late payment notations tied to this account 3. Refund of the {$390.00} paid under protest, which resulted directly from fraudulent activity and Barclays failure to process my identity verification 4. Reinstatement of all accumulated XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX account number XXXX ), in excess of XXXX miles, lost as a result of this accounts wrongful closure 5. Written confirmation from Barclays of all corrective actions taken I have also sent formal dispute letters to Barclays Bank Delaware ( both the Office of the President and the standard disputes address ) and to all three credit bureaus, and have filed an FTC Identity Theft Report. All communications have been sent via certified mail with return receipt. Barclays broken identity verification process directly enabled the harm I suffered. As a federally regulated financial institution, they had a duty to provide a meaningful remedy for identity theft victims. They failed to do so at every turn. I respectfully request that the CFPB hold them accountable.

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