Consumer complaint received 2025-12-02 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: CCS Financial Services, Inc.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint because Credit Collection Services ( CCS ) is reporting a collection account with a balance of {$150.00} on my credit report, and this account is not mine. I have never opened, authorized, or been associated with any account that would result in this balance or be assigned to CCS. I have never received any communication, billing statements, notices, or documentation from CCS or any original creditor indicating that I owed this debt. The presence of this account on my credit report is entirely fraudulent, and as a result, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report. I have repeatedly disputed this account with the credit bureaus, yet it remains on my report without any proof, validation, or supporting documentation. Because of this, I am requesting the CFPBs intervention. 

Below, I will describe in detail what happened, the steps I took, the laws that protect me, the failures on the part of CCS and the credit bureaus, and how this fraudulent account has negatively affected me. 

1. Discovery of the CCS Account The first time I ever learned about a debt linked to Credit Collection Services was when I checked my credit report. I had never been contacted by CCS before this. There were no letters, calls, emails, or billing statements of any kind. There was no original creditor information provided to me, and I had no prior knowledge of a {$150.00} balance that was allegedly owed. This account appeared without warning and without any explanation. 

As soon as I saw it, I knew immediately that this account did not belong to me. I have never had a relationship with any company that would have sold or assigned a debt to CCS. The lack of prior communication from either an original creditor or CCS itself was a major red flag and indicated that the debt was either fraudulent, incorrectly assigned, or placed due to a mixed credit file. 

XXXX. The Account Is Fraudulent I Do Not Owe This Debt I want to be very clear : I do not owe this debt. I did not authorize it. I did not sign up for anything related to it. I did not have any service or product that would create this type of obligation. This CCS account, showing a balance of {$150.00}, is fraudulent. 

Because this debt is not mine, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, affirming under federal protection laws that I am a victim of identity theft or misuse. This FTC report establishes that : Someone may have used my identity without my permission The account is fraudulent I am disputing the legitimacy of this collection I am requesting removal and blocking under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) CCS must cease reporting until they provide actual validation The FTC Identity Theft Report legally triggers several protections under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), especially 605B, which requires the credit bureaus to block fraudulent data. 

XXXX. CCS Never Sent a Validation Notice as Required by Law Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) 809 ( a ), CCS is required to send me a written validation notice within five days of first attempting to collect a debt. This notice must include : The amount of the debt The name of the original creditor My rights to dispute the debt Instructions for requesting validation CCS never sent anything to me. Not one letter. Not one notice. Nothing at all. 

This is a direct violation of federal law. 

A collection account can not legally appear on my credit report without CCS first : Contacting me Informing me of the alleged debt Providing a chance to dispute Offering validation documentation Identifying the original creditor None of this occurred. 

XXXX. I Disputed the CCS Account With All Three Credit Bureaus Once I saw the CCS account on my report, I immediately filed disputes with : XXXX XXXX  XXXX  I informed each bureau that : I do not own this account I never authorized the underlying debt I never received verification The account is the result of fraud or identity misuse I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report I requested a full reinvestigation I specifically asked for the following information : The name of the original creditor Documentation proving I opened the account Billing history Contracts or agreements with my signature Dates of service or use Any validation CCS claimed to have Method of Verification under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) The credit bureaus did not provide any of this information.

5. CCS Failed to Validate the Debt as Required by FDCPA 809 ( b ) After receiving my disputes, CCS was required to : Provide written verification of the debt Provide a copy of any signed contract Provide the original creditors information Provide documentation linking the debt to me Cease collection and reporting until validation was provided CCS did none of the above. 

Instead, the account remained on my credit report despite the absence of proof. This indicates that CCS likely did not have any actual documentation to prove the debt belongs to me, yet they continued reporting it. 

This is a clear violation of FDCPA 809 ( b ) which states : The debt collector shall cease collection of the debt until the debt collector obtains verification of the debt. 

Reporting the debt to the credit bureaus is considered a form of collection activity. 

XXXX. The Credit Bureaus Did Not Provide a Method of Verification Under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ), when a consumer disputes an account, the credit bureau must tell the consumer : How the account was verified What documents were used Who provided the verification What steps were taken to resolve the dispute None of the bureaus provided : The Method of Verification Any documentation Any actual evidence They simply returned generic statements saying the account was verified, which is impossible when CCS never validated the debt in the first place. 

This suggests that the bureaus likely relied on automated data through the e-OSCAR system, where furnishers often verify disputes by clicking automated responses without providing any supporting documents. 

This is not a meaningful investigation under the FCRA. 

XXXX. CCS Appears to Have Furnished Inaccurate or Unverified Information The reporting of this debt violates multiple sections of the FCRA : FCRA 602A Requires maximum possible accuracy of reporting. 

CCS reported a completely inaccurate and fraudulent account. 

FCRA 607 ( b ) Furnishers must have reasonable procedures to assure accuracy.

If CCS had these procedures, they would not be reporting fraudulent data.

FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) Furnishers may not report information they know or should know is inaccurate.

My dispute and FTC Identity Theft Report put CCS on notice that the account is fraudulent.

FCRA 611 ( a ) Bureaus must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation. 

They failed to do so. 

XXXX. Harm Caused by the CCS Account The fraudulent CCS account has caused me substantial harm, including : Lower credit scores Increased risk ratings Reduced creditworthiness Difficulty obtaining credit Emotional stress Time spent disputing fraudulent data Potential denial of financial opportunities Even though the balance is {$150.00}, the impact of a single derogatory collection is severe. 

It affects : Payment history ( the most important scoring factor ) Derogatory account count Collection indicators Lender perception This damage is ongoing and unjust.

9. This Debt May Be the Result of Identity Theft or a Mixed File Given the circumstances, this CCS account could have resulted from : Identity theft A mixed credit file Incorrect reporting Data contamination CCS furnishing incomplete or inaccurate information A creditor assigning debts to the wrong consumer My FTC Identity Theft Report confirms fraud, and the inconsistencies in the reporting strongly indicate misidentification. 

XXXX. CCS Did Not Provide the Name of the Original Creditor A major red flag is that CCS did not disclose : Who the original creditor was What type of account this was When the account was opened When it went delinquent Any contract or agreement This omission violates both the FCRA and FDCPA. 

A consumer can not owe money to an unknown creditor. 

XXXX. CCS Never Contacted Me Prior to Reporting the Debt CCS did not : Call Email Send letters Provide dispute rights Provide validation This is a violation of consumer rights. 

Collectors can not legally report a debt without notifying the consumer first. I never received any communication of any kind from CCS. 

XXXX. My FTC Identity Theft Report Should Have Triggered an Automatic Block Under FCRA 605B, the credit bureaus must block fraudulent information when a consumer submits an Identity Theft Report. 

I provided such a report. 

Despite this : The CCS account stayed No block was applied No reinvestigation correction occurred This is a failure on the part of the credit bureaus. 

XXXX. I Acted in Good Faith to Correct the Fraudulent Reporting I have done everything federal law requires : Reviewed my credit Identified fraudulent activity Filed disputes with all credit bureaus Requested validation Filed an FTC Identity Theft Report Followed all FCRA and FDCPA procedures Despite taking all appropriate steps, the wrongful reporting continues. 

XXXX. Summary of Violations Credit Collection Services ( CCS ) violated : FDCPA 809 ( a ) failure to send validation notice FDCPA 809 ( b ) failure to validate after dispute FDCPA 807 reporting false or misleading information FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) furnishing inaccurate information FCRA 607 ( b ) failing to ensure accuracy Credit Bureaus Violated : FCRA 605B failure to block fraudulent data FCRA 611 ( a ) inadequate reinvestigation FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) failure to provide Method of Verification 15. Final Statement The Credit Collection Services account in the amount of {$150.00} is fraudulent, unauthorized, unvalidated, and unsupported. It appeared on my credit report without any communication, verification, or legal notice. I have disputed it multiple times, filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, and followed every required step of the dispute process. CCS has never proven the debt belongs to me because no such proof exists. This account is harming my credit and violating my federally protected rights.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation