Consumer complaint received 2025-12-04 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: FAIR COLLECTIONS & OUTSOURCING, INC.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
I am creating a new CFPB case because my previous complaint, Case Number XXXX, was closed without resolving the central issue : Fair Collections & Outsourcing ( XXXX ) is reporting a collection account that I do not own, have never authorized, and have never received any legally required validation for. Because this account does not belong to me and because XXXX failed to validate the debt as required under federal law, I filed an FTC Identity Theft report to formally document that this account is unauthorized and fraudulent. Despite all of these steps, the account continues to be reported, which is why I must open a new case and request full CFPB review. 

The core issue is that XXXX has never provided any documentation proving that the alleged debt belongs to me. They have not provided a contract, a lease, a service agreement, a bill, a statement, or any other form of original documentation showing that I am the responsible party. Their previous response to my first CFPB complaint did not include validation. Instead, they simply stated that they will send verification, which is not compliance with FDCPA 809 ( b ). Debt collectors are required to validate BEFORE continuing to report or collect, not after they have already furnished derogatory information. Their response confirms that they reported the debt without validation, which is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

In my original complaint, I made it very clear that I had no knowledge of this account prior to seeing it on my credit report. I never received a letter from XXXX, never received a notice of debt, never received a validation letter within XXXX days of any supposed initial communication, and never received any documents of any kind. The FDCPA is explicit in requiring debt collectors to provide written notice of the debt, including the amount owed and the name of the original creditor. XXXX never provided this notice. Instead, they furnished negative data to the credit bureaus without notifying me or validating the debt. This is unlawful. 

Because this debt is not mine, and because I received no communication or documentation linking me to it, I filed an FTC Identity Theft report to officially document that the account is false and unauthorized. Filing the FTC report is not something I take lightly. I only filed it because it is the truth : I do not own this account, and XXXX has no proof that I do. The FTC report is also required to help protect me from further fraudulent activity and to document that this is a case of mistaken identity, misattribution, or other consumer-reporting error. 

Despite submitting the FTC report, despite filing disputes with all credit bureaus, and despite making multiple requests for validation, XXXX has continued furnishing this derogatory account. When I disputed directly with the credit bureaus, they claimed the debt was verified, yet provided no supporting documentation. This suggests that the verification was handled through an automated system like XXXX, where XXXX simply clicked a code acknowledging the dispute without providing any proof. Such automated verification does not meet the standard of a reasonable reinvestigation under FCRA 611 ( a ). 

A proper reinvestigation requires reviewing original documentationnot merely confirming that the furnisher responded electronically. Each credit bureau failed to provide the required method of verification even after I explicitly requested it. Under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ), consumers are entitled to know HOW a debt was verified, including what documentation was reviewed. I received none of this. No bureaus provided the name of a creditor representative, no documents, no evidencejust a generic automated result. This fails to meet the federal standard for reinvestigation. 

FCOs response to the original CFPB complaint also raised additional concerns. Instead of providing documentation, they simply restated that the debt exists, listed an amount, and said they would mail verification. This confirmed that they did not possess validation at the time they began reporting the debt. Under FDCPA 809 ( b ), collectors must validate a debt when asked, and until they do, they must stop collection efforts, which includes furnishing information to credit bureaus. Reporting the debt to the bureaus is considered a collection activity. XXXX has therefore violated the law by continuing to report the account without validating it. 

Furthermore, XXXX failed to provide an explanation for how they obtained my information, what original creditor provided it, how the alleged account was linked to my file, or whether any identity verification steps were taken before reporting. This absence of information suggests poor data-handling procedures and potential errors in identity matching. My FTC Identity Theft report clearly states that I do not own this account. XXXX has produced nothing to contradict that fact. 

My credit report is being harmed by the presence of this inaccurate and unverified collection account. This affects not only my credit score but also my financial stability and opportunities. When a debt collector reports erroneous data, consumers suffer damage that can result in higher interest rates, loan denials, and lost financial opportunities. Federal law is designed to prevent exactly this type of harm by requiring validation prior to reporting. 

The ongoing reporting of this collection account is therefore both harmful and unlawful. XXXX has not met its obligations under : FDCPA 809 ( b ) ( failure to validate ) FCRA 607 ( b ) ( maximum possible accuracy ) FCRA 611 ( a ) ( reasonable reinvestigation ) FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 3 ) ( duty to report disputes ) FCRA 602A ( consumer rights and fairness in reporting ) In addition, because I filed an FTC Identity Theft report, XXXX is required to provide documentation proving that the debt is legitimate and that I am indeed the responsible party. They have not done that. Instead, they continue providing generic and incomplete responses. 

When a consumer files an FTC report, disputes with the bureaus, and requests validation from a collector, the burden of proof shifts entirely to the collector. XXXX must prove the debt is mine with real evidence, not assumptions. They must produce : A signed contract or agreement A complete account history Proof of the original creditor Proof of the chain of assignment Proof of ownership or legal right to collect Proof that the information was accurately matched to my identity Without these items, a debt can not legally be reported. 

Because my previous CFPB case was closed without resolution and because XXXX continues to fail to validate, I am opening this new case. I respectfully request that the CFPB review not only FCOs failure to validate but also their systemic practices in furnishing unverified data, ignoring disputes, and failing to meet federal standards for documentation and reinvestigation. 

Consumers have the right to accurate reporting. They also have the right to have fraudulent or erroneous accounts removed. Federal regulations make this clear : if a debt can not be verified, it must be deleted. There is no exception for collectors who lack documentation. 

FCOs lack of response, lack of documentation, and lack of legal compliance make it clear that this account should not be reported. The continued reporting of a debt that has not been validatedand that I explicitly reported to the FTC as fraudulentis a clear violation of multiple federal protections. 

For all of these reasons, I ask the CFPB to intervene and require XXXX to : Produce full validation of the alleged debt with original documents, OR Delete the account entirely from all credit bureaus. 

Because I do not own this account and XXXX has never proven otherwise, deletion is the only lawful resolution. 

I respectfully ask for full CFPB review and enforcement so that this inaccurate, unverified, and fraudulent account is permanently removed and no longer damages my credit or financial well-being.

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