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: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
Rebuttal to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 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 XXXX XXXX XXXX response and do not accept this complaint as resolved. XXXX response does not address the substance of my complaint. Instead of proving that I opened, authorized, used, benefited from, or legally owe this account, XXXX 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 XXXX account. XXXX 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. XXXX response also requests a police report, but XXXX 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 XXXX, is submitted under penalty of perjury, is made available to law enforcement, and is designed to notify businesses that their records XXXX 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. XXXX 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 XXXX is continuing to report or collect it. If XXXX believes a police report is legally required in addition to the FTC Identity Theft Report, XXXX should identify the exact legal basis for that position and explain why the FTC Identity Theft Report and supporting identity theft documentation are insufficient. XXXX 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. XXXX 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 XXXX received notice through the credit bureaus that this account was identified as identity theft, XXXX 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 XXXX 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 XXXX 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 XXXX provide a real identity-theft investigation response, not a generic seller-verification response. Specifically, XXXX should provide : 1. The original application or account-opening record. 2. The date, method, and location of account opening. 3. The email address, phone number, mailing address, IP address, device information, and identity-verification information used to open or access the account, if available. 4. Full transaction history and account statements. 5. The documents XXXX received from Synchrony Bank or any seller. 6. Chain-of-title, purchase, assignment, and placement records. 7. Any records XXXX relied on to conclude that I personally opened, authorized, used, benefited from, or legally owe this account. 8. Any records of prior disputes, including the date, source, method, content, dispute codes, and any evidence XXXX has that I personally initiated those disputes. XXXX response does not resolve the complaint. It does not prove liability. It does not overcome the identity theft claim. It does not explain why XXXX continues to report or collect this account after being placed on notice that the account is the result of identity theft. I request that XXXX 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 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