Consumer complaint received 2026-05-27 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
Rebuttal to Midland Credit Management Response on XX/XX/year> ( Police Report Receipt Attached ) READ THE ENTIRE COMPLAINT AS THIS IS AN ORIGINAL COMPLAINT AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY FALSE & UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS OF SIMILAR VERBIAGE FROM MIDLANDS REPRESENTATIVES AGAIN! ( Not that it is necessarily required but I attached a police report receipt in the files of this complaint ) I disagree with Midland Credit Managements response and do not accept this complaint as resolved. Midlands response does not address the substance of my complaint. Instead of proving that I opened, authorized, used, benefited from, or legally owe this account, Midland attacked the wording of my complaint by claiming it shares the same verbiage as other consumers. That statement is unsupported, irrelevant, and does not prove that this account belongs to me. This complaint was submitted by me, based on my credit report, my identity theft claim, and my own dispute of this specific Midland account. Midland has not identified any credit repair organization, third party, or fraudulent submitter. Similar legal wording does not make a complaint illegitimate. Consumers are allowed to cite the same consumer protection laws when they are harmed by the same type of conduct. Midlands response also requests a police report, but Midland does not explain why my identity theft submission and supporting documents are insufficient. An FTC Identity Theft Report is not a casual statement. The FTC explains that the Identity Theft Report is generated through IdentityTheft.gov, is submitted under penalty of perjury, is made available to law enforcement, and is designed to notify businesses that their records may contain fraudulent information about the consumer. The FCRA definition of an identity theft report includes an official valid report filed with an appropriate federal, state, or local law enforcement agency or other government agency deemed appropriate, where false filing can carry criminal penalties. Midland can not use the absence of a separate police report as a shortcut to avoid addressing the actual issue : this account is the result of identity theft, I did not authorize it, and Midland is continuing to report or collect it. If Midland believes a police report is legally required in addition to the FTC Identity Theft Report, Midland should identify the exact legal basis for that position and explain why the FTC Identity Theft Report and supporting identity theft documentation are insufficient. Midland also states that it enclosed verification information provided by the seller. I dispute that this is sufficient. Seller-provided data is not proof that I opened, authorized, used, benefited from, or legally owe this account. A name, address, Social Security number, balance, account number, or sale/assignment record does not resolve an identity theft claim. Those are exactly the types of identifying information that can be misused in identity theft. My complaint concerns identity theft and consumer liability. Under 12 C.F.R. 1022.43, a furnisher must conduct a reasonable investigation of a direct dispute involving consumer liability, including whether there has been identity theft or fraud against the consumer. Midlands response does not show a reasonable investigation into identity theft. Midland is also a furnisher of information to consumer reporting agencies. Under FCRA 623, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 6 ), furnishers must have reasonable procedures to respond to identity-theft block notices from credit reporting agencies and prevent refurnishing blocked identity-theft information. If Midland received notice through the credit bureaus that this account was identified as identity theft, Midland had a duty to respond appropriately and not simply rely on seller data. The credit reporting agencies were also required under FCRA 605B, 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ( b ), to notify Midland that the information may be the result of identity theft, that an identity theft report was filed, that a block was requested, and the effective dates of the block. Midlands response does not address whether it received such notice, what investigation it performed after receiving notice, or what steps it took to prevent refurnishing disputed identity-theft information. I also dispute any reliance on prior dispute history. If Midlands records show prior regular disputes connected to this account, I did not file, authorize, participate in, or approve those prior disputes. Any prior dispute activity should not be treated as evidence that I acknowledged, verified, accepted, or assumed responsibility for this account. It may itself be connected to the identity theft or misuse of my information. I am requesting that Midland provide a real identity-theft investigation response, not a generic seller-verification response. Specifically, Midland should provide : XXXX. The original application or account-opening record. XXXX. The date, method, and location of account opening. XXXX. The email address, phone number, mailing address, IP address, device information, and identity-verification information used to open or access the account, if available. XXXX. Full transaction history and account statements. XXXX. The documents Midland received from XXXXXXXX XXXX or any seller. XXXX. Chain-of-title, purchase, assignment, and placement records. XXXX. Any records Midland relied on to conclude that I personally opened, authorized, used, benefited from, or legally owe this account. XXXX. Any records of prior disputes, including the date, source, method, content, dispute codes, and any evidence Midland has that I personally initiated those disputes. Midlands response does not resolve the complaint. It does not prove liability. It does not overcome the identity theft claim. It does not explain why Midland continues to report or collect this account after being placed on notice that the account is the result of identity theft. I request that Midland immediately delete this account from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, cease collection activity, close the account as identity theft/fraud, and confirm in writing that the account will not be sold, transferred, assigned, re-reported, or placed with another collector.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief