Consumer complaint received 2025-11-27 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: The CBE Group, Inc.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this detailed response to address the companys statement regarding the alleged Charter Communications ( XXXX XXXX ) account that CBE Group claims to be collecting on. I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not now, nor have I ever, had any account, service agreement, contract, subscription, outstanding balance, or business relationship with Charter Communications, XXXX XXXX, or any associated brands. I have never authorized, opened, or used any XXXX XXXX or Charter Communications account. 

Because this entire account is fraudulent and does not belong to me in any capacity, I have taken the appropriate and legally recognized step of filing an FTC Identity Theft Report, officially documenting that this account is not mine, was never mine, and was created or attributed to my identity without my knowledge or consent. 

The companys response acknowledges receipt of my complaint but fails to address the primary and critical fact that this account is fraudulent, unauthorized, and not connected to me. Simply stating that they have ceased collection activity is not nearly enough to resolve an account that is the result of identity theft. 

Stopping collection is only a basic first step. The company must take additional, legally required steps to correct this situation, permanently delete the account, block all reporting, update their records, notify all relevant parties, and comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), and all federal identity theft protection requirements. 

Below is a comprehensive explanation of why the companys response is insufficient and what constitutes a fair and lawful resolution. 

1. I Do Not HaveNor Have I Ever Hadan Account With Charter Communications or XXXX XXXX The alleged account CBE Group references does not belong to me. I have never : Opened an account with Charter Communications Signed up for XXXX XXXX services Activated any XXXX XXXX device Received statements, bills, invoices, or communications from them Provided identification to authorize an account Requested, purchased, or used any of their services Because I have absolutely no relationship with this company, any account associated with my name, identity, or information must be fraudulent. 

CBE Group can not provide validation proving otherwise because such records do not exist. 

2. I Filed an FTC Identity Theft Report Because the account is clearly fraudulent, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, which is a legally binding statement affirming the following : The account is not mine It was never authorized It was created without my permission I am the victim of identity theft or identity misuse Any attempts to collect or report are unlawful The FTC Identity Theft Report places strict legal obligations on CBE Group and Charter Communications, including blocking the account, ceasing collection, and permanently removing any reporting. 

Their response does NOT show compliance with these requirements. 

3. The Companys Response Does Not Address Fraud or Identity Theft CBE Group wrote : Our records do not show that CBE received any dispute or validation request prior to the receipt of this complaint. In response, CBE has ceased collection activity.

This response entirely ignores the most important issue : This account is fraudulent. It is not mine. I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report. 

Stopping collection does not resolve : The fraudulent nature of the account The identity theft involved The damage that comes from inaccurate reporting The need to permanently delete the account Their obligation to block reporting under FCRA 605B Their responsibility to notify Charter Communications Their response avoids acknowledging : That this debt is not mine That this debt can not be collected That they must permanently delete it That they must notify the original creditor That they must update bureaus and third parties Simply stopping collection is inadequate and does not satisfy federal requirements. 

4. Ceasing Collection Is Not a Resolution Under Federal Law According to the FCRA and FDCPA, once a consumer disputes a debt and provides an identity theft report : The collector MUST : Permanently block the account Cease all collection permanently Delete or request deletion from all credit bureaus Stop processing the account internally Notify the original creditor of the fraud Prevent reinsertion or future reporting Provide written confirmation of all actions taken CBE Group did not confirm they did any of the following. 

They simply stated they ceased collection activity, which is not a full resolution, not a legal response to identity theft, and not sufficient under the law. 

5. The Account Must Be Fully Deleted and Blocked, Not Just Ceased A proper resolution requires : Permanent deletion from : CBE Groups collection systems Charter Communications account records All reporting agencies ( if applicable ) Any third-party databases Any internal assignment logs Any automated dialer or contact systems The account must be marked as : Fraudulent consumer identity stolen consumer not responsible permanently closed CBE Groups response does not confirm any of this. 

6. CBE Group Must Provide Full Documentation of Their Investigation A legally compliant resolution requires CBE Group to provide : Proof of the original service application Proof of identity verification used to open the account Signed documentation Address and contact data used for the alleged account Billing history Account opening dates Account ownership detail Service usage data They provided none of this. 

Why? 
Because the account does not belong to me, and they can not provide documents that do not exist. 

7. Charter Communications Must Be Notified of the Fraud CBE Group states they forwarded the dispute to Charter Communications. 
However, they do not indicate : Whether Charter acknowledged it was fraud Whether Charter closed the account Whether Charter removed it from their system Whether Charter notified credit bureaus Whether Charter submitted a Universal Data Form ( UDF ) to delete it Whether Charter flagged my identity to prevent future misuse A fair resolution requires full transparency and confirmation that the ORIGINAL creditor acknowledges the identity theft. 

8. The Account Must Never Be Sold, Transferred, or Reassigned Because this account is fraudulent, it must never : Be resold to another collection agency Be re-assigned internally Be placed back into collections Be updated with a new account number Be reinserted into any credit file Reappear in the future in any form CBE Group must guarantee this in writing.

9. This Fraudulent Account Has Already Caused Harm Having a fraudulent account connected to my identity produces serious consequences, including : Loss of creditworthiness Emotional distress Hours spent disputing inaccuracies Potential harm to future credit or lending opportunities Potential denial of housing or employment Damage to financial standing Exposure of sensitive personal information A fair resolution must acknowledge the harm caused by incorrect reporting and collection attempts. 

10. Internal Policies Can not Override Federal Requirements CBE Group repeatedly refers to internal policies, but : Internal policies do NOT supersede federal law.

They MUST comply with : Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) Identity Theft and Fraud Protection laws CFPB regulations Federal Trade Commission identity theft requirements Their response reflects none of these obligations. 

11. Required Actions for a Fair Resolution To fully resolve this matter in a fair, lawful, and permanent manner, CBE Group must : A. Acknowledge that I have no account with Charter Communications ( XXXX XXXX  ) This includes confirming that the alleged account is fraudulent and that I am not responsible. 

B. Accept the FTC Identity Theft Report This includes immediately applying identity theft protections. 

C. Permanently delete all records of this fraudulent account D. Cease and desist all collection activity now and in the future E. Stop reporting and block all reporting to the credit bureaus F. Notify Charter Communications that the account is fraudulent Charter must update their internal records accordingly. 

G. Notify any third party or bureau who received the account They must delete it immediately.

H. Provide written confirmation of deletion, closure, and fraud status I. Guarantee no future reinsertion, reassignment, or re-aging of the account J. Provide a full explanation of their internal investigation These steps are necessary to completely resolve all issues arising from this fraudulent account.

12. Summary To summarize : I do NOT have an account with Charter Communications or XXXX XXXX

I NEVER opened or authorized this account. 

I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report documenting that this account is fraudulent. 

CBE Group has not validated the debt. 

Ceasing collection is NOT a complete or lawful resolution. 

The account must be deleted, blocked, and permanently closed. 

All federal identity theft protections must be applied. 

I must receive written confirmation. 

Until these conditions are met, the companys response remains incomplete and legally insufficient.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation