Consumer complaint received 2026-01-26 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Sued you in a state where you do not live or did not sign for the debt
Company: Exeter Finance, LLC.
State: LA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this statement to explain and clarify the ongoing issue involving Exeter Finance LLC, a previously submitted CFPB complaint, and a separate investigation conducted by XXXX, which independently determined that the account reported by Exeter was fraudulent. 

This matter concerns a derogatory account reported by Exeter Finance that does not belong to me and was the result of identity theft. I did not apply for, authorize, sign for, or benefit from any account with Exeter Finance. Despite this, the account was reported as derogatory and caused significant harm to my credit profile. 

Prior CFPB Case and Exeters Response In a prior CFPB complaint, Exeter Finance responded by stating that they had issued a cease-and-desist. However, Exeter did not acknowledge that the account was fraudulent, did not accept that I was a victim of identity theft, and did not remove or delete the tradeline at that time. Instead, Exeters response effectively shifted responsibility back to me, even though the account did not belong to me. 

A cease-and-desist alone does not resolve identity theft. It does not verify ownership of a debt, does not establish accuracy of reporting, and does not comply with the obligations imposed on furnishers once fraud or identity theft is reported. Importantly, a cease-and-desist does not authorize continued reporting of a fraudulent account to the credit bureaus. 

XXXX  Independent Fraud Determination Separately, I filed a dispute with XXXX, providing documentation and information supporting that the Exeter Finance account was the result of identity theft. After reviewing the dispute, XXXX  determined that the account involved fraud. XXXX response, which is attached to this complaint, confirms that this account was identified as fraudulent. 

This is a critical point : XXXX, as a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, independently confirmed fraud. This determination directly contradicts Exeter Finances prior position and demonstrates that the account should never have been reported as my responsibility. 

Despite XXXX fraud determination, Exeter Finance previously failed to take the appropriate corrective action. The existence of an XXXX  fraud confirmation establishes that the account was not mine and validates my position from the beginning. 

Ongoing Failure to Properly Resolve Even after identity theft was reported and after XXXX  identified the account as fraudulent, Exeter Finance did not provide clear confirmation that the tradeline was permanently deleted, nor did they provide written confirmation that I have no responsibility for the account. Instead, their earlier response relied on a cease-and-desist, which is insufficient and inappropriate in cases of identity theft. 

This failure to act promptly and decisively caused unnecessary delay and extended the harm to my credit profile. A consumer should not be required to pursue multiple disputes, complaints, and investigations across different agencies to obtain relief from a fraudulent accountespecially when fraud has been independently confirmed by a credit bureau. 

Identity Theft and FTC Report Once I discovered the Exeter Finance account, I filed an official Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ). I notified the credit bureaus and Exeter Finance that the account was fraudulent. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), once a consumer submits an FTC Identity Theft Report, fraudulent accounts must be blocked and removed, unless the furnisher can provide verified, competent evidence that the account belongs to the consumer. 

Exeter Finance did not provide any such evidence. No signed contract, application, or proof of authorization was produced. Instead, the account continued to be treated as if it were mine, despite clear indicators of fraud and XXXX  subsequent confirmation. 

Harm Caused by Exeters Handling The improper handling of this matter caused significant and ongoing harm. The reporting of a derogatory accountparticularly one categorized as a charge-off or collectionhas serious consequences for a consumers credit standing. These include : Damage to credit scores Reduced access to fair credit terms Increased difficulty obtaining financing Emotional distress and time lost resolving a fraudulent issue This harm was entirely avoidable had Exeter Finance complied with its obligations once identity theft was reported and once XXXX  confirmed fraud. 

Inconsistency Between Furnisher and Credit Bureau The discrepancy between Exeter Finances prior response and XXXX  fraud determination highlights a serious issue. When a credit bureau independently determines that an account is fraudulent, the furnisher should align its records accordingly. Continuing to rely on a cease-and-desist while ignoring a fraud determination undermines the accuracy and integrity of the credit reporting system. 

Consumers should not be placed in a position where one entity acknowledges fraud while another continues to act as if the account is valid. This inconsistency creates confusion, prolongs disputes, and unfairly burdens identity theft victims. 

Failure to Comply With the Fair Credit Reporting Act Under the FCRA, furnishers are required to : Report information accurately Conduct reasonable investigations upon dispute Correct or delete information that is inaccurate or unverifiable Provide additional protections to identity theft victims In this case, Exeter Finance failed to meet these obligations. Once identity theft was reported and once XXXX  confirmed fraud, the appropriate action was immediate deletion and written confirmation, not a cease-and-desist that left responsibility unresolved. 

Request for CFPB Review and Oversight I am submitting this statement to request CFPB review of Exeter Finances handling of this matter, particularly : Their reliance on a cease-and-desist instead of deletion Their failure to acknowledge fraud despite an FTC report Their failure XXXX align their reporting with XXXX  fraud determination The unnecessary delay and harm caused by this failure The attached XXXX  case and response clearly demonstrate that the account was fraudulent. This documentation supports my position and confirms that the account should have been removed without further dispute. 

Requested Resolution Based on the facts outlined above, I am requesting the following : Formal acknowledgment by Exeter Finance that the account was fraudulent Permanent deletion of the Exeter Finance tradeline from all credit bureaus Written confirmation that I have no financial or legal responsibility for the account Assurance that the account will not be reinserted, sold, or transferred Confirmation that Exeter Finance has updated its internal records to reflect fraud These steps are necessary to fully resolve the issue and prevent future harm.

Summary In summary, this issue involves a fraudulent account reported by Exeter Finance. Exeter previously responded to a CFPB complaint by stating they issued a cease-and-desist, but did not properly resolve the matter. Separately, XXXX  investigated and confirmed that the account was fraud, as shown in the attached response. 

Despite this confirmation, Exeter failed to promptly and clearly correct the reporting. This failure caused prolonged harm and required repeated action on my part. I am requesting CFPB assistance to ensure that Exeter Finance complies with federal law and provides the full corrective relief required in cases of identity theft.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation