Consumer complaint received 2024-09-06 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
I initially made a report out on XX/XX/year> with your service. Subsquently there was addition information that need to be added. So call cfpb and spoke with a representative who indicated I make out a new report. What follow is the new additional information Starting in XX/XX/year> I started to receive phone calls from a company identified as Portfolio Recovery Associates ( PRA ). My cell phone identified the calls as SCAM, so I did not respond/answer. Calls from PRA continued through XXXX and early XXXX. Each time I received a call from PRA the identified phone number was different. This continued to support my thinking that it was a SCAM. Never did anyone that called from PRA leave a voice message about why they were calling. On XX/XX/year>, I received a text message on my cell phone from PRA. At this point I went and looked up PRA on the internet and found they are debt collection agency. 

Being concerned that some debt fraud might be occurring for me I contacted PRA from the phone number found on the internet. In calling PRA I identified myself and the PRA representative indicated that I had a debt with XXXX for {$21000.00} through a XXXX XXXX with XXXXXXXX XXXX. I informed the representative that I have no XXXX XXXX with XXXXXXXX XXXX. Further I indicated that I have never banked with XXXXXXXX XXXX I asked what information they had from the XXXXXXXX XXXX. The PRA representative did identify that last four digits of the XXXX XXXX as XXXX and a residential address of XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, OR XXXX. I informed the representative that this was not my address and never has been since I live in Washington. I was not willing to provide PRA further personal information about myself. I did ask the PRA representative I can correct this error. The PRA representative indicated he would file a dispute resolution and that I could respond to it when it would be mailed to me in 7 to 10 days. I asked a PRA representative for PRA Dispute phone number which he provided but indicate I would need to call the next day since given the time the office would be closed.

Following the call with PRA I call XXXXXXXX XXXX and spoke with a representative. The representative was able to confirm the information that PRA had provided me. I had indicated to the XXXX representative that I have never bank with them. The XXXXXXXX XXXX representative asked for my personal information, address and SS #. I was reluctant to provide the representative this information, but she assured me it was to help verify if the information on their account was the same. Being concerned that my personal information was exposed I did provide the representative with the information. In turn she was able to confirm that the information in XXXX XXXX system on the XXXX XXXX was not my SS # or my address. The XXXXXXXX XXXX representative did indicate she would open a case on this as fraud and that I would receive a notice. The call with XXXXXXXX XXXX was then terminated. 

After contacting XXXXXXXX XXXX  I call XXXX. I informed XXXX representative of the above information. I found XXXX representative not very helpful, and he only indicated that it maybe another person with my same name but he would report this to the higher-ups I might note that I do have a XXXX account which has a single credit card not with XXXX XXXX XXXX This XXXX account is used infrequently. I check this account routinely and there has never been any fraudulent or illegal activity against it. 

On XX/XX/year>, I called PRA Depute department and spoke to a representative. The representative was able to confirm that I had called their service yesterday. I ask the representative how they obtain my cell phone since my personal information was not listed on the XXXXXXXX XXXX account initially to start contact me assuming it was me that owned the debt. The PRA representative could not initially indicate how that occurred. The representative was then able identified my SS # and address in their system. She indicated my personal information was now listed on the XXXXXXXX XXXX. I was upset that PRA now had my personal information. I asked PRA representative when my personal information was entered in the XXXXXXXX XXXX system. She confirmed that my personal information was entered in by XXXXXXXX XXXX  on XX/XX/year>. It appears XXXXXXXX XXXX  entered my personal information on to a falsified account. The PRA was also able to identify there was a prior information on the account that was not mine. I tried to explain to the PRA what had occurred and how now they had my personal information in my attempt to correct this information. The representative only indicate that she was not XXXXXXXX XXXX. I was quite frustrated at this point. The PRA representative did indicate I would need to submit a dispute form which would be mailed to me in XXXX to 7 days. This document needed to be submitted with my signature and a nonfamily member counter signature or notarized. I then asked PRA representative if this information would be filed against my credit. She indicated that debt was filed to my credit report this morning XX/XX/year>. At his point I became very angry and indicated PRA had used my personal information base on my attempt to correct fraud on my personal information. The PRA representative was not able to respond to my concerns. Now I have a bad credit filling on debt that is not mine. 

I contact my attorney and shard the above information with him. We both feel that now there has been further abuse of my personal information. XXXXXXXX XXXX should have never entered my personal information to the account that initially only had my name but did not have my SS # nor my address. Additionally, PRA appears to be on fishing expeditions to make collection on debt in any manner to appease their needs. PRA has initially information from XXXXXXXX XXXX  was not mine and they did not attempt to clearly clarify information on the account. Instead, they somehow found my phone number and began harassing me until I contacted then as a concern citizen that there might be fraud occurring. Instead, they use my attempt to correct a wrongful complaint against me. I truly wonder how reputable PRA is. 

Thank you

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief