Consumer complaint received 2025-04-30 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage — Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue with the application process
Company: ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP
State: MN

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MN XXXX XXXX Date : XX/XX/XXXX Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX  , DC XXXX Subject : Complaint Regarding Associated Bank NA ( Associated Banc-Corp ) - Fraudulent Loan, Identity Theft, Credit Reporting Errors , and Unresolved Lien Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , I am writing to file a formal complaint against Associated Bank NA / Associated Banc-Corp regarding a fraudulent {$58000.00} loan issued in my name via identity theft and the bank 's subsequent refusal to resolve the issue, causing significant financial and personal harm. 

For several years, Associated Bank has maintained that I owe a {$58000.00} loan secured against my home, which I never applied for, authorized, or received any funds from. This loan originated on or around XX/XX/XXXX, apparently through an individual who stole my identity. The bank claims the loan documents were signed by me at one of their branches and notarized by a bank-employed notary. 

However, I have conclusive proof that I could not have been present at the bank branch on XX/XX/XXXX. My employer at the time, XXXX XXXX, has payroll and security records showing I was working a XXXX XXXX on a XXXX XXXX that entire day, making it physically impossible for me to have traveled to the bank 's location. Furthermore, the signature on the loan documents provided by the bank reads XXXX XXXX XXXX, a version of my name I have never used. 

Despite my repeated attempts over many years to resolve this directly with Associated Bank, providing this evidence, and requesting proof of the loan 's legitimacy ( such as the original application or promissory note ), the bank has refused to cooperate or provide any such documentation. 

Associated Banks most recent response on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXXprompted by a demand letter from the Minnesota Attorney Generals Office requesting the bank provide any KYC documentation, identity verification records or other federally-mandated customer identity confirmation documentation proving I was the originator of this loanclaimed that Associated Banks Know Your Customer procedures and records are trade secrets, confidential and can not be released outside the bank. 

The bank further claimed ( again ) that the existence of a notary seal is proof-positive that I was indeed present and the party who originated and signed the loan. 

The bank has failed to acknowledge that the person who notarized the loan papersXXXX XXXX was and remains an Associated Bank Personal Banker, which is hardly an independent and unimpeachable party to this matter. 

They continue to insist the debt is mine, citing the flawed notarization and my prior inclusion of the debt in a bankruptcy filing ( which was done under duress due to the financial hardship caused by this situation ). 
Associated Bank 's actions and negligence have caused significant harm : * They continue to hold an illegitimate lien on my home, preventing me from selling it. 
* The fraudulent loan has severely damaged my credit reports and financial standing. 
* Dealing with this unresolved issue for years has caused immense emotional distress. 

I believe Associated Bank failed in its fundamental responsibilities under federal regulations, including the Customer Identification Program ( CIP ) /Know Your Customer ( KYC ) requirements and the FACT Act 's Red Flags Rule for identity theft prevention, by failing to properly verify the identity of the individual who obtained the loan. 

They are also lying to me and to the Minnesota Attorney General by claiming their Know Your Customer procedure and work product are protected, patented trade secrets exempt from any external review and the banks exclusive Intellectual Property. 

I have also filed complaints with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ). 
Thank you for your time and assistance in resolving this critical matter. 
Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation