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: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint to formally report that all Synchrony Bankrelated accounts appearing on my credit reports are the result of identity theft, and I am requesting a full investigation under the rights granted to me by the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), and all federal regulations governing fraudulent accounts, unauthorized credit activity, and inaccurate reporting. I have already filed an official FTC Identity Theft Report and have taken all reasonable steps to secure my identity, including placing fraud alerts, credit freezes, and repeatedly disputing these fraudulent Synchrony Bank accounts with the major credit reporting agencies. Despite my documented identity theft, these accounts continue to report inaccurate information, harming and misrepresenting my credit profile. 

This statement explains in clear detail what happened, what actions I have already taken, why the accounts are fraudulent, and why Synchrony Bank must comply with federal law and remove these accounts. 

1. Identity Theft Discovery and Initial Red Flags I first became aware that my identity had been compromised when I noticed unfamiliar Synchrony Bank accounts appearing on my credit reports. These accounts included several retail credit cards and lines of credit associated with Synchrony Bank-issued partners ( such as XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Synchrony Home XXXX and other store-branded credit accounts ). None of these accounts were legitimately opened by me, and none were authorized, used, or applied for by me. 

Upon reviewing the details, I immediately recognized multiple red flags indicating identity theft : The accounts did not match any credit applications I have ever made. 

The accounts had addresses, usage patterns, and spending behaviors inconsistent with my history. 

Many accounts showed delinquencies, charge-offs, or collections that I could not have been responsible for. 

I had never received any card, billing statements, approval notices, or disclosures for these accounts. 

These indicators confirmed that someone had fraudulently used my personal information to open Synchrony Bank credit accounts without my permission.

2. FTC Identity Theft Report Filed and Documented As soon as I confirmed identity theft, I took immediate legal action. I filed a formal report with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) documenting the identity theft incident. This official FTC Identity Theft Report serves as a sworn statement affirming that all Synchrony Bank accounts reporting under my name are unauthorized, fraudulent, and not connected to me in any way.

Under FCRA 605B, once a consumer submits an identity theft report ( including an FTC affidavit ), furnishers such as Synchrony Bank are legally obligated to : Block fraudulent information.

Stop reporting inaccurate accounts.

Conduct a reasonable investigation.

Remove unverifiable or fraudulent tradelines.

Despite this, the fraudulent Synchrony Bank accounts remain on my credit file, creating ongoing harm.

3. Summary of All Synchrony Bank Accounts Involved To be clear, every single Synchrony Bank account appearing on my credit report is fraudulent. These include, but may not be limited to : Any Synchrony-issued XXXX account Any Synchrony-issued XXXX Credit account Any Synchrony-issued retail store cards ( e.g., furniture stores, jewelry stores, electronics retailers, home improvement stores, etc. ) Any Synchrony-issued CareCredit or medical financing accounts Any Synchrony-issued credit lines under store-partner brands I do not own, recognize, or have any relationship with these accounts. Any account Synchrony Bank is reporting under my profile is the product of identity theft.

These fraudulent accounts have harmed my credit by reporting : Charge-offs Late payments Delinquencies High credit utilization Collections Closed derogatory statuses None of these delinquent or derogatory entries reflect my credit behavior. They reflect the actions of an unknown identity thief.

4. Actions I Have Already Taken to Resolve This I have taken every appropriate step a responsible consumer can take when victimized by identity theft : A. Filed an FTC Identity Theft Report This is an official federal document confirming the fraudulent activity.

B. Filed a police report ( when applicable ) I have documented the identity theft with local law enforcement.

C. Placed fraud alerts with all three major bureaus This notifies lenders that my identity has been compromised.

D. Initiated multiple disputes with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion I formally disputed each Synchrony Bank account as fraudulent.

E. Froze my credit with all bureaus This prevents further fraudulent applications.

F. Requested validation and verification from Synchrony Bank I requested that Synchrony Bank provide : Original signed applications IP addresses used to apply Recorded phone calls ( if any ) Proof of identity used Delivery addresses Transaction history Any contract or agreement bearing my signature Not only has Synchrony Bank failed to provide any original documentation, they have continued to report the fraudulent accounts, violating my rights under the FCRA.

5. Synchrony Bank Failed to Provide Verification or Documentation Under FCRA 611 and FCRA 623, Synchrony Bank is required to verify the accuracy of the information they furnish. When a consumer files an identity theft report, the furnisher must : Conduct a reasonable reinvestigation.

Review all evidence submitted by the consumer.

Provide validation of the account.

Remove information that can not be verified.

Synchrony Bank has not provided : A signed credit application Proof of identity used in account creation Transaction summaries Delivery addresses Evidence showing I opened or benefited from these accounts Because no evidence exists, the accounts must be removed. Continuing to report them violates the FCRA and FDCPA.

6. Synchrony Bank Reporting Has Caused Serious and Ongoing Harm Because of Synchrony Banks continued reporting of these fraudulent accounts, I have suffered measurable, documented harm : Lowered credit scores due to false delinquencies Increased interest rates on existing credit Difficulty obtaining new credit Denials for financial products Stress, anxiety, and emotional distress Damage to my financial reputation Every second that these fraudulent Synchrony Bank accounts remain on my credit file, the damage worsens.

7. Synchrony Bank Failed Its Duty Under the Red Flags Rule The FACT Act Red Flags Rule requires financial institutions to identify, detect, and respond to patterns of identity theft. Synchrony Bank allowed someone to open accounts in my name : Without identity verification With mismatched personal information With suspicious application characteristics Without alerting me Without detecting the fraud This indicates a failure of Synchrony Banks internal controls for detecting and preventing identity theft.

8. Synchrony Bank Automated Verification Through e-Oscar Is Not Legally Sufficient When I disputed these accounts with the credit bureaus, Synchrony Bank responded through the e-Oscar automated system, which simply confirmed the account exists in their system.

Under the FCRA, this type of investigation is legally inadequate because : It does not examine underlying documentation It does not verify identity It does not evaluate fraud indicators It does not involve a human review It does not confirm authenticity of the application A proper investigation requires reviewing actual evidencenot clicking a verification button.

9. Synchrony Bank Has a Legal Obligation to Block Fraudulent Information Per FCRA 605B, when a consumer submits an identity theft report, a furnisher must : Block the reporting of fraudulent information within 4 business days Stop reporting the account to the credit bureaus Notify the credit bureaus to delete the information Provide documentation of compliance Synchrony Bank did none of these things.

10. Requested Documentation That Synchrony Bank Has Failed to Provide As part of my disputes, I requested that Synchrony Bank produce : Original contracts bearing my signature IP logs from the application submission Device IDs tied to the fraudulent applications Copies of identification allegedly used Address history connected to the accounts Dates of account opening Proof that I activated or used any card Delivery locations of cards, purchases, or statements Synchrony Bank has not produced any such documentation, because these accounts were not opened by me and no legitimate verification materials exist.

11. My Identity Theft Case Meets All FTC and FCRA Legal Standards To legally classify a case as identity theft, the consumer must provide : A signed FTC Identity Theft Report A statement that the accounts are unauthorized Evidence of fraudulent activity I have fulfilled all federal requirements. Synchrony Bank is legally obligated to delete the fraudulent accounts.

12. Synchrony Banks Failure to Remove the Accounts Violates Federal Law By continuing to furnish information it can not verify, Synchrony Bank has violated : FCRA 602 ( A ) accuracy and fairness FCRA 607 ( B ) requirement to follow reasonable procedures FCRA 611 ( a ) reinvestigation failure FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 3 ) duty to report disputes accurately FCRA 623 ( b ) duty of furnishers to investigate FDCPA 807 ( 8 ) reporting false credit information Each day the accounts remain is another violation.

13. I Have Never Had Any Relationship with Synchrony Bank To reiterate clearly : I have never applied for, opened, used, or benefited from any Synchrony Bank account, whether : Retail cards Store financing Promotional financing Credit lines Joint accounts Co-signed accounts I have never authorized Synchrony Bank to open credit in my name. Any accounts currently reporting are fraudulent.

14. Synchrony Bank Must Cease All Reporting Until Verification Is Provided Under the FCRA, a furnisher may not continue reporting information it knows or should know is inaccurate or unverified.

Since Synchrony Bank has produced no proof, further reporting constitutes negligent and willful noncompliance.

15. The Fraudulent Synchrony Bank Accounts Must Be Deleted Immediately Given : The identity theft The FTC report The absence of verification The failure of internal controls The continued inaccurate reporting The harm done to my credit The only appropriate and lawful response is the immediate deletion of all Synchrony Bank accounts from all credit bureaus.

16. Conclusion I have fully documented my identity theft, filed the required reports, disputed every fraudulent account, and requested verification that Synchrony Bank can not provide. Every Synchrony Bank account on my file is the result of identity theft. No evidence exists to validate them. Synchrony Bank has not complied with its obligations under the FCRA.

These accounts must be deleted.

They are fraudulent.

I do not own them.

I am an identity theft victim.

I am requesting that the CFPB require Synchrony Bank to take the corrective action required by federal law and remove all fraudulent accounts immediately.

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