Consumer complaint received 2025-07-14 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I'm filing this complaint against Portfolio Recovery Associates because they're trying to collect a debt that isn't mine and they won't stop even though I've provided official documentation proving it's fraud. 

Portfolio Recovery Associates has been reporting an account on my credit report for {$11000.00} that they claim is from XXXX XXXX. The account number is XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The problem is, I never opened any account with XXXX. This debt is part of an identity theft situation that I've been dealing with for over a year. 

I am a documented victim of identity theft and I have official federal reports to prove it. I filed three separate identity theft reports with the Federal Trade Commission. Report number XXXX was filed in XX/XX/XXXX, report number XXXX was filed in XX/XX/XXXX, and report number XXXX was filed in XX/XX/XXXX, and lastly an FTC report number XXXX Dated XX/XX/XXXX. These reports specifically document fraudulent accounts that were opened by identity thieves, including accounts related to XXXX. So when Portfolio Recovery Associates tries to collect on a XXXX debt, they're literally trying to collect money for documented fraud. 

When I disputed this debt and told them it was identity theft, Portfolio Recovery Associates didn't provide any real proof that this debt is actually mine. They just said they " completed investigation '' but they never showed me the original XXXX application with my signature on it, how they legally got this debt from XXXX, any documentation proving that I actually applied for or used this account, or evidence that this isn't part of the identity theft I reported to the FTC. 

Instead, they just keep insisting the debt is valid and reporting it to the credit bureaus. But how can they say a debt is valid when they can't prove I ever agreed to owe the money in the first place? 

Portfolio Recovery Associates is reporting this fraudulent debt to TransUnion and possibly other credit bureaus. This is destroying my XXXX XXXX for something I didn't do. My credit score has dropped from the XXXX to the XXXX partly because of this fraudulent collection account. 

When I disputed this account with TransUnion and provided my FTC identity theft reports, TransUnion just said Portfolio Recovery " completed investigation '' and the debt was verified as accurate. But what exactly did Portfolio Recovery investigate? They never contacted me or asked for any additional information. 

The whole situation doesn't make sense to me. Portfolio Recovery Associates bought this debt from somewhere, but they can't show me the original paperwork proving I owe it. They seem to think that just because they have some computer records saying I owe money, that automatically makes it true. 

But when someone steals your identity and opens accounts, those accounts are going to look " real '' to the companies involved, that's the whole point of identity theft. The fact that Portfolio Recovery has some paperwork doesn't mean I actually owe the money, especially when I have federal documentation proving it's fraud. 

This fraudulent collection account is causing real damage to my life and my family 's financial situation. Because of this and other fraudulent accounts on my credit report, we've been denied for a mortgage when we were trying to buy a house, forced to pay higher interest rates on loans and credit cards, unable to get approved for credit we actually need, and dealing with constant stress about our financial future. 

My wife and I had been saving up to buy our first home, but we can't get approved for a mortgage because of fraudulent debts like this one. It's incredibly frustrating to have your dreams put on hold because of crimes that other people committed. 

I've tried multiple times to get this resolved. I disputed the account with Portfolio Recovery Associates directly, provided them with copies of my FTC identity theft reports, disputed the account with TransUnion and provided the same documentation, and I've called and written letters explaining that this is documented fraud. Nothing has worked. Portfolio Recovery Associates just keeps saying they " investigated '' and the debt is valid, but they won't provide any actual proof. TransUnion just accepts whatever Portfolio Recovery tells them without requiring real evidence. 

I don't understand how a debt collection company can try to collect money from someone when they can't prove that person actually owes it. Portfolio Recovery Associates bought this debt from somewhere, but they don't seem to have the original documentation showing I agreed to the debt.

It seems like these companies buy debts in bulk based on limited information and then just assume everything is accurate. But when you're dealing with identity theft, that assumption is wrong and it hurts innocent people like me.

From what I understand, debt collectors are supposed to be able to validate debts when consumers dispute them. But Portfolio Recovery Associates hasn't provided any real validation, just claims that they " investigated '' without showing their work. They're also reporting information to credit bureaus that they can't verify as accurate. When I have official federal documentation proving this is fraud, how can they keep reporting it as a legitimate debt?

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief