Consumer complaint received 2026-03-03 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a formal dispute letter pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1692g via USPS Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested to Portfolio Recovery Associates , LLC at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, VA XXXX. In that letter, I clearly stated that the alleged debt referenced by account number XXXX is not mine and that I have no knowledge of it. I demanded that they cease all collection activity and validate the debt. USPS tracking confirms that Portfolio Recovery Associates received. Despite receiving my written dispute, Portfolio Recovery Associates has failed to respond, failed to provide any validation of the debt, and failed to cease collection activity. Instead, they continue to report this disputed debt on my credit reports with XXXX and XXXX as a valid collection account with a balance of {$7500.00} past due as of XX/XX/XXXX. This continued reporting after receiving my written dispute violates multiple federal laws. Under 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( b ), reporting a debt to credit bureaus constitutes continued collection activity during the validation period without first providing validation, which is prohibited. The Fourth Circuit has held that reporting a debt to a credit bureau is collection activity under 1692g ( b ) in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ). Additionally, Portfolio Recovery Associates is violating 15 U.S.C. 1692e ( 8 ) by communicating false credit information. They have failed to mark this tradeline as disputed by consumer on my credit reports, and the Seventh Circuit recently held in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, No. XXXX ( XXXX Cir. XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) that 1692e ( 8 ) imposes a negligence standard requiring debt collectors to exercise reasonable care to avoid reporting false information. Furthermore, I have verified through the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) Consumer Access database that Portfolio Recovery Associates is not listed as a licensed collection agency in my state of residence. Attempting to collect a debt without the required state license is an unfair and unconscionable practice under 15 U.S.C. 1692f. The Eleventh Circuit has held that collecting without a license violates 1692f in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ). As a furnisher of information to consumer reporting agencies, Portfolio Recovery Associates also has duties under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. They have violated 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) by failing to conduct a reasonable investigation upon notice of my dispute. The Fourth Circuit recently held in XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. XXXX ( XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) that furnishers must investigate both legal and factual inaccuracies. A dispute that the debt is not mine triggers this duty. They have also violated 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) by failing to report accurate information, as reporting an unvalidated disputed debt fails the maximum possible accuracy standard established in XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief