Consumer complaint received 2025-02-05 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Opening an account — Unable to open an account
Company: FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: DE

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, an unauthorized account was fraudulently opened in my name with Fulton Bank for {$460.00} without my knowledge or consent. This account was a direct result of identity theft, and I did not initiate, authorize, or benefit from it in any way. 

Upon discovering this fraudulent account, I immediately took action to dispute it by filing an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) and submitting it along with : A copy of my government-issued ID A copy of my Social Security card Proof of address Other supporting materials substantiating my identity theft claim Under 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ( a ) ( FCRA 605B ), XXXX is legally required to block fraudulent information within four ( 4 ) business days upon receiving a valid identity theft report. The FTC Identity Theft Report is explicitly recognized as a valid and sufficient document under federal law, and no additional police report or law enforcement signature is required.

Fulton Banks Failure to Provide Proof of Account Authorization As the financial institution that allegedly opened this account, Fulton Bank has failed to produce any evidence verifying that I authorized or benefited from this account. Specifically, Fulton Bank has not provided any of the following : A copy of the original account application with my signature IP address logs, call recordings, or any other verification method used at the time of account opening Transaction history showing any personal benefit I received from this account If Fulton Bank claims this account is legitimate, it is legally required to provide proof of authorization. Since no such proof has been provided, it is evident that this account was fraudulently opened and must be removed immediately. 

Legal Violations and Consumer Harm By failing to remove this fraudulent account and falsely verifying it as accurate, Fulton Bank is in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) : FCRA 605B ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ) Failure to properly acknowledge and remove fraudulent information upon receiving a valid identity theft report.

FCRA 611 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ) Providing false or misleading verification of an accounts accuracy.

FCRA 616 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681n ) & 617 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681o ) Engaging in willful and negligent noncompliance with federal law, causing harm to my financial reputation.

Requested Action I am formally requesting that Fulton Bank immediately contact XXXX to block and remove this fraudulent account from my consumer file, as legally required under FCRA XXXX. Specifically, I demand : XXXX. Immediate Removal of the Fraudulent Fulton Bank Account Fulton Bank must notify XXXX to permanently block this fraudulent account and confirm that it has been removed from my file. 
2. Written Confirmation of Account Deletion Fulton Bank must provide written confirmation within five ( 5 ) business days stating that the fraudulent account has been removed and will not be reinserted into my XXXX report. 
XXXX. Cessation of False Account Verification Fulton Bank must cease verifying fraudulent accounts as legitimate when no proof of consumer authorization exists. 

Social Security Number for Account Identification To ensure that Fulton Bank properly identifies my file and takes immediate corrective action, my Social Security XXXX last XXXX digits are XXXX. There should be no confusion or delay in identifying the fraudulent account and taking immediate corrective action. 

Next Steps if Fulton Bank Fails to Comply If Fulton Bank does not remove this fraudulent account, I will escalate this matter further, including : Filing a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) against Fulton Bank for FCRA violations. 
Pursuing legal action against Fulton Bank for knowingly reporting false information and failing to conduct a proper investigation. 
Requesting an investigation from the Office of the Attorney General to review Fulton Banks handling of fraudulent accounts.

This fraudulent account is actively harming my ability to open and maintain financial accounts, and Fulton Banks failure to comply with federal law is unacceptable. I expect immediate corrective action and written confirmation within five ( 5 ) business days confirming that the fraudulent account has been removed.

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