Consumer complaint received 2025-11-02 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
SECOND COMPLAINT - FALSE STATEMENTS TO CFPB, CONTINUED FDCPA VIOLATIONS, AND FURNISHING MATERIALLY INACCURATE INFORMATION I filed CFPB Complaint # XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX regarding Portfolio Recovery Associates ' ( PRA ) violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. PRA responded to that complaint on XX/XX/XXXX. 

This is a SECOND complaint because : 1. PRA made FALSE STATEMENTS in their response to the CFPB 2. PRA has continued violating federal law 3. PRA is furnishing MATERIALLY INACCURATE INFORMATION to credit bureaus FALSE STATEMENT TO CFPB : In their XX/XX/XXXX response to my complaint, Portfolio Recovery Associates stated : " We ceased all communications regarding the PRA accounts unless otherwise permitted or required by applicable law. '' This statement was FALSE and misleading. PRA did NOT cease communications. They continued furnishing information to credit reporting agencies AFTER making this statement to the CFPB : - XX/XX/XXXX : PRA submitted updates to credit bureaus ( 9 days after claiming to cease ) - XX/XX/XXXX : Both accounts show " Last Account Activity '' of this date on my credit reports ( 11 days after claiming to cease ) - XX/XX/XXXX : Credit monitoring alerts show PRA flagged accounts as " Collection account ( 6 ) '' ( 13 days after claiming to cease ) I have credit report screenshots, credit monitoring alerts, and documentary evidence proving PRA continued reporting AFTER telling the CFPB they stopped. 

ONGOING FDCPA VIOLATIONS : PRA 's continued credit reporting violates 15 USC 1692g ( b ) : 1. XX/XX/XXXX : I sent PRA a written debt validation request for two accounts : - Account ending in XXXX : Balance {$530.00} - Account ending in XXXX : Balance {$480.00} 2. Under 1692g ( b ), PRA was required to CEASE ALL COLLECTION ACTIVITY until providing validation 3. Credit reporting IS collection activity ( see Chaudhry v. Gallerizzo, 174 F.3d 394, 406 ( 4th Cir. 1999 ) ) 4. PRA has NEVER provided proper validation. Their XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX response letters contained ZERO documentation - no bill of sale proving they own the debts, no original credit agreements, no chain of custody, no itemized accounting. 

5. Despite no validation, PRA has continuously updated my credit reports on : - XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX Each update violates 1692g ( b ). 

MATERIALLY INACCURATE INFORMATION - FCRA VIOLATIONS : Upon detailed review of my credit reports, I discovered that PRA is furnishing MATERIALLY INACCURATE INFORMATION to credit bureaus in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 USC 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ) : INACCURACY # 1 : WRONG " DATE OPENED '' FOR BOTH ACCOUNTS PRA is reporting dates that are 5 DAYS LATER than the actual dates : Account XXXX ( {$530.00} ) : - PRA told CFPB in their XX/XX/XXXX response : Transferred " on or about XX/XX/XXXX '' - XXXX  XXXX letter states : Transferred " on or about XX/XX/XXXX '' - PRA reports to credit bureaus : Date Opened = XX/XX/XXXX - DISCREPANCY : 5 days later than actual date Account XXXX ( {$480.00} ) : - PRA told CFPB in their XX/XX/XXXX response : Transferred " on or about XX/XX/XXXX '' - XXXX  XXXX letter states : Transferred " on or about XX/XX/XXXX '' - PRA reports to credit bureaus : Date Opened = XX/XX/XXXX - DISCREPANCY : 5 days later than actual date This is materially inaccurate because : - The dates are objectively wrong- PRA told the CFPB one set of dates but reports different dates to credit bureaus - Later dates make accounts appear more recent, causing greater credit damage - Later dates may extend the 7-year credit reporting period If PRA had proper documentation ( bill of sale ), they would know the exact dates and would report consistently to all entities. 

INACCURACY # 2 : WRONG " ORIGINAL CREDITOR '' FOR BOTH ACCOUNTS PRA is reporting the WRONG original creditor to 2 out of 3 credit bureaus : What PRA Reports : - XXXX  : Shows " Portfolio Recovery A '' as original creditor WRONG - XXXX  : Shows " Collection '' as original creditor WRONG - XXXX  : Shows " XXXX XXXX XXXX. '' as original creditor CORRECT The Truth : - XXXX XXXX is the original creditor ( confirmed by XXXX  XXXX letters ) - PRA 's own response to CFPB refers to these as " XXXX XXXX '' accounts - Portfolio Recovery Associates is NOT the original creditor ( they're a debt collector ) - " Collection '' is NOT a creditor ( it's an account status ) This is materially inaccurate because : - It's objectively false on XXXX  and XXXX- It violates FDCPA 1692g ( a ) ( 2 ) ( duty to disclose name of creditor ) - It prevents me from properly identifying the debts- PRA is reporting THREE DIFFERENT versions across three bureaus Why would PRA report WRONG information to 2 out of 3 bureaus? This proves they don't have proper documentation. 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE INACCURACIES : These are not minor errors. These are material inaccuracies that demonstrate : 1. PRA does not have proper documentation ( if they had bill of sale and account records, they would know correct dates and original creditor ) 2. PRA can not verify the accuracy of information they report ( inconsistent across bureaus and contradicts their own CFPB statements ) 3. PRA is reporting different information to different entities : - Told CFPB : XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX - Told Credit Bureaus : XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX - Told XXXX  : Original creditor is " Portfolio Recovery A '' - Told XXXX  : Original creditor is " Collection '' - Told XXXX  : Original creditor is " XXXX XXXX '' 4. PRA 's inaccurate reporting is damaging my credit score CREDIBILITY CONCERNS : PRA 's conduct raises serious concerns about their credibility and business practices : 1. They claimed to CFPB they ceased communications FALSE ( continued reporting ) 2. They claim accounts are valid NO PROOF ( never provided validation ) 3. They claim to have " investigated '' NO DOCUMENTATION ( zero docs provided ) 4. They report dates to credit bureaus INACCURATE ( 5 days off from their own CFPB statement ) 5. They report original creditor INACCURATE ( wrong on 2 out of 3 bureaus ) 6. They claim accounts " meet FCRA requirements '' FALSE ( reporting during validation period and reporting inaccurate information ) HARM SUFFERED : These unvalidated collection accounts with inaccurate information are : - Damaging my credit score significantly - Preventing me from obtaining credit, housing, and employment opportunities - Causing me severe emotional distress and financial harm - Based on information PRA can not verify and that contains material inaccuracies PATTERN OF VIOLATIONS : PRA has demonstrated a pattern of : - Making false statements to federal regulators - Violating FDCPA by collecting during validation - Furnishing inaccurate information to credit bureaus - Inconsistent reporting across bureaus - Reporting information that contradicts their own statements- Refusing to provide documentation despite multiple requests REQUESTS : 1. Investigate PRA 's false statement in their XX/XX/XXXX response claiming they " ceased communications '' - they did not cease, as proven by credit report updates on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. Require PRA to provide PROOF they ceased communications ( they can not, because they continued reporting ) XXXX. Investigate PRA 's furnishing of materially inaccurate information : - Wrong dates ( 5 days off from their own CFPB statement ) - Wrong original creditor ( 2 out of 3 bureaus incorrect ) 4. Require PRA to explain why they report different dates to CFPB vs. credit bureaus 5. Require PRA to explain why they report three different " original creditors '' across three bureaus 6. Require PRA to CORRECT all inaccurate information OR DELETE both accounts immediately XXXX. Require PRA to provide actual debt validation or admit they can not validate 8. Investigate whether PRA has made similar false statements in other CFPB complaint responses 9. Investigate whether PRA has a pattern of furnishing inaccurate information to credit bureaus 10. Impose penalties for : - Making false statements to federal regulators - Pattern of FDCPA violations - Pattern of furnishing inaccurate information under FCRA 11. Refer this matter for enforcement action due to pattern of violations across multiple federal laws EVIDENCE I CAN PROVIDE : - PRA 's XX/XX/XXXX response to CFPB ( showing false statement about ceasing communications AND showing correct transfer dates of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ) - Credit reports dated XX/XX/XXXX ( showing recent activity and inaccurate dates of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ) - Credit monitoring alerts dated XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ( proving continued reporting after claiming to cease ) - MyXXXX 3-bureau report ( showing inconsistent " Original Creditor '' across three bureaus ) - XXXX  XXXX charge-off letters ( confirming correct dates and original creditor ) - Timeline documenting all violations- PRA 's insufficient validation responses ( XX/XX/XXXX & XXXX, XXXX - zero documentation ) - Screenshots proving continued credit reporting - Comparison charts showing date discrepancies and original creditor discrepancies ACCOUNTS : Account 1 : Portfolio Recovery Associates- ending in XXXX - {$530.00} Account 2 : Portfolio Recovery Associates- ending in XXXX - {$480.00} PRA Contact : Portfolio Recovery Associates , LLC XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, VA XXXX Phone : XXXX DESIRED RESOLUTION : 1. Immediate deletion of both accounts from all credit bureaus 2. Investigation and penalties for PRA 's false statements to CFPB 3. Investigation and penalties for PRA 's furnishing of materially inaccurate information 4. Enforcement action against PRA for pattern of FDCPA violations ( collection during validation period ) 5. Enforcement action against PRA for pattern of FCRA violations ( furnishing inaccurate dates and original creditor information ) 6. Requirement that PRA explain why they report different information to CFPB vs. credit bureaus 7. Requirement that PRA explain why they report inconsistent information across three credit bureaus 8. Monetary compensation for credit damage and emotional distress caused by inaccurate reporting 9. Regulatory penalties to deter future violations 10. Investigation of whether this is a systemic problem affecting other consumers SUMMARY : This is my SECOND complaint because : 1. PRA 's response to my first complaint contained FALSE STATEMENTS ( claimed they ceased communications but continued reporting ) 2. PRA continues violating FDCPA 1692g ( b ) by reporting during validation period 3. PRA is furnishing MATERIALLY INACCURATE INFORMATION to credit bureaus : - Wrong dates ( 5 days off from their own CFPB statements ) - Wrong original creditor ( 2 out of 3 bureaus incorrect ) 4. PRA reports different information to CFPB vs. credit bureaus ( demonstrates they can not verify accuracy ) 5. PRA reports inconsistent information across three credit bureaus ( proves inadequate documentation ) The material inaccuracies ( wrong dates, wrong original creditor ) are objectively verifiable and easily proven. PRA 's own documents contradict what they're reporting to credit bureaus. 

This demonstrates bad faith, willful disregard for federal law, and a pattern of deceptive practices. 

Please investigate this company 's violations and take appropriate enforcement action to protect consumers from inaccurate credit reporting and illegal collection practices. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX COMPARISON CHARTS TO INCLUDE WITH ALL LETTERS * * Create these two simple charts ( handwritten is fine, or type them ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  CHART 1 : DATE DISCREPANCIES * * " " PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES - " DATE OPENED '' DISCREPANCIES Account XXXX ( {$530.00} ) : Source Date Shown XXXX  XXXX Charge-Off Letter XX/XX/XXXX PRA Response to CFPB ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XX/XX/XXXX PRA Reporting to XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX PRA Reporting to XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Reporting to XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX DISCREPANCY 5 DAYS LATER Account XXXX ( {$480.00} ) : Source Date Shown XXXX  XXXX Charge-Off Letter XX/XX/XXXX PRA Response to CFPB ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XX/XX/XXXX PRA Reporting to XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX PRA Reporting to XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX PRA Reporting to XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX DISCREPANCY 5 DAYS LATER CONCLUSION : PRA reports dates to credit bureaus that are 5 days LATER than the dates they reported to CFPB and 5 days later than XXXX  XXXX 's charge-off letters . This is materially inaccurate information in violation of FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ). 
" " # # # * * CHART 2 : ORIGINAL CREDITOR DISCREPANCIES * * " " PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES - " ORIGINAL CREDITOR '' DISCREPANCIES What Each Credit Bureau Shows : Bureau Account XXXXXXXX ( {$530.00} ) Account XXXX ( {$480.00} ) XXXX  Portfolio Recovery A Portfolio Recovery A XXXX  Collection Collection XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX. 


What Other Documents Show : Document Original Creditor Shown XXXX  XXXX Charge-Off Letter XXXX XXXX PRA Response to CFPB XXXX XXXX Account Statements XXXX XXXX CONCLUSION : PRA reports THREE DIFFERENT versions of " original creditor '' : 1. To XXXX  : " Portfolio Recovery A '' ( WRONG - PRA is a debt collector ) 2. To XXXX  : " Collection '' ( WRONG- not an entity ) 3. To XXXX  : " XXXX XXXX XXXX. '' ( CORRECT ) This demonstrates that PRA is furnishing materially inaccurate information and can not verify the accuracy of the data they report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief