Consumer complaint received 2026-06-12 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: Rubin & Rothman, LLC
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
On approximately XX/XX/XXXX, a business credit card account was opened with XXXX XXXX in my name without my knowledge or authorization. I did not apply for this account, did not authorize anyone to apply for it on my behalf, and never received or used the card. The charges on this account, totaling approximately {$31000.00}, are the result of identity theft. I discovered the fraudulent account in approximately XX/XX/XXXX. Upon discovering it, I filed an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission on XX/XX/XXXX ; my FTC report number is XXXX. I contacted XXXX XXXX to report the identity theft shortly after filing the FTC report. XXXX XXXX informed me that it had completed its investigation and concluded the account was not fraudulent. XXXX XXXX did not provide me with any documentation supporting this conclusion including the original application, the IP address, device information, email address, or mailing address used to open the account, the address to which the card was delivered, or any signature, activation, or verification records. I was told that once XXXX XXXX reached its conclusion, the case could not be reopened. I then submitted a complaint to the CFPB regarding this account. In response to that complaint, XXXX XXXX acknowledged in writing that the account was opened through an online application and that no signed application exists. XXXX XXXX stated it concluded the account belongs to me based on two facts : ( 1 ) a phone number that XXXX XXXX says it confirmed belongs to me was used to activate the account, and ( XXXX ) a payment was made from a XXXX XXXX deposit account that XXXX XXXX says links to me. Both of these reasons are flawed and do not constitute a reasonable investigation. First, the phone number cited by XXXX XXXX has never belonged to me. I have never used, owned, or been assigned that number. XXXX XXXX has not explained how it " confirmed '' the number belongs to me, and I believe its confirmation rests on its own internal records of the fraudulent application meaning XXXX XXXX is treating the phone number the identity thief provided as proof that the account is mine. That is circular reasoning, not verification of identity. Second, the XXXX XXXX deposit account that XXXX XXXX says " links to '' me is also not mine. I do not have, and have never opened, any deposit account with XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX 's response was the first time I was informed of this deposit account 's existence. If this deposit account is being treated as evidence that the credit card account is legitimately mine, then XXXX XXXX has now disclosed a second account opened in my name without my authorization, which is itself an additional instance of identity theft. I am reporting this second account as fraudulent as part of this complaint. Both of XXXX XXXX 's stated reasons rely on records originating from the fraudulent applications themselves. Confirming that an impostor used consistent credentials across multiple accounts they fraudulently opened is not verification that I opened any of them. XXXX XXXX has refused to produce the records that would actually distinguish between me and an impostor : the IP address the application was submitted from, the device identifier, the email address used on the application, the mailing address to which the card was sent, the geolocation associated with the application session, and the originating details of activation. A fraud account manager at XXXX XXXX confirmed to me by phone that no further documentation would be provided. In parallel, I submitted a request to XXXX under Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to block the fraudulent account from my credit report, supported by my FTC Identity Theft Report. XXXX confirmed by phone that it had placed the block. XXXX XXXX then caused the block to be undone by certifying to XXXX that the account is accurate. I dispute that certification, and XXXX XXXX has not substantiated it with any evidence that actually identifies me as the applicant. XXXX has since told me it can not act further and that I must resolve the matter with XXXX XXXX, leaving the fraudulent account on my credit report. The fraudulent account has now been reported as charged off with a balance of approximately {$31000.00} and has been placed with a debt collection law firm, Rubin & Rothman , LLC, which is actively contacting me to collect on a debt I am not responsible for. The reporting of this account is causing ongoing damage to my credit, and the collection activity is creating risk of litigation against me on a fraudulent debt. I am requesting that the CFPB direct XXXX XXXX to : 1. Produce the application records and method-of-verification documentation used to open and verify the credit card account, including the IP address, device identifier, email address, mailing address used on the application, address to which the card was delivered, and geolocation associated with the application session. 2. Explain in writing the specific basis on which it concluded the cited phone number belongs to me, including the records relied on to make that determination. 3. Treat the XXXX XXXX deposit account identified in its prior response as also being the subject of an identity theft claim, investigate it as such, and produce the same application and verification records for that account. 4. Conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of my identity theft claim under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, considering whether its prior determination was based solely on records originating from the fraudulent applications themselves. 5. Cease reporting the disputed credit card account to the consumer reporting agencies pending production of the requested records, and withdraw the certification of accuracy it provided to XXXX that caused the Section 605B block on this account to be undone. 6. Cease collection activity on this account and refrain from selling, transferring, or maintaining placement of the alleged debt with any third party for collection while the dispute is unresolved. I have a valid Identity Theft Report filed with the Federal Trade Commission, which has been provided to XXXX XXXX and to the consumer reporting agencies. XXXX XXXX 's refusal to honor that report, combined with its refusal to produce the underlying application records and its reliance on circular reasoning, is the basis for this complaint.

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