Consumer complaint received 2025-12-08 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: LA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this new complaint because the previous case I filed with the CFPBcase number XXXXwas closed without resolving the underlying issue. The account being reported against me is not mine, and I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report stating that I do not own this account. Despite this, the company did not provide documentation, validation, or proof that I opened or authorized the account. Because the prior case was closed prematurely and without adequate investigation, I am now filing a new case as a rebuttal to the earlier one. This new submission is not a duplicateit is a direct continuation and response to the unresolved issues in the previous case.

The companys most recent response indicates that they placed a cease-and-desist status on the account and forwarded the matter to their fraud department. While I appreciate these steps, their reply still does not resolve the dispute. They have not provided any validation, proof of ownership, or documentation tying this account to me. Their response does not satisfy the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), and it does not address the fact that I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report confirming that this account is fraudulent and unauthorized. Because the company did not fully investigate my earlier complaint and did not provide the required verification, I must file this new complaint to ensure a proper and complete investigation is conducted. 

In their response, the company claimed they were unable to locate prior fraud correspondence from me. This is incorrect. I have disputed this account multiple times and notified credit reporting agencies that I do not own it. I also filed an FTC Identity Theft Report as part of my dispute process. The inability of the company to locate my previous correspondence indicates either internal mishandling or a failure to review the evidence submitted in the earlier case. This alone is grounds for reopening and reassessing my dispute because the account remains inaccurate and unverified, yet continues to appear on my credit report. 

Because the previous case was closed without addressing these issues, I must now restate and expand on the details of what happened. 

1. The Account Being Reported Against Me Is Not Mine I do not own, recognize, or authorize the account that the company claims belongs to me. I have never opened this account, never received statements for it, and never received any official communication indicating that I was responsible for it. When an account appears on a credit report but does not belong to the consumer, the furnisher has a legal obligation to validate the information by providing documentation. This includes account applications, statements, contracts, billing records, and any notices that were allegedly sent. None of these documents have been provided to me. 

Because I do not own the account, its continued reporting harms my credit reputation and violates my rights under the FCRA. The companys failure to validate the account means that it can not be legally reported until proper proof is supplied. 

2. I Filed an FTC Identity Theft Report Confirming I Do Not Own This Account As part of my dispute process, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report. This report documents that the account being reported is fraudulent and does not belong to me. Under FCRA identity theft provisions, a furnisher must block or remove information that a consumer has identified as fraudulent unless they can provide evidence disproving the identity theft claim.

The companys response did not address my FTC documentation in any meaningful way. Instead, they stated that they could not locate prior correspondence. This response is not sufficient under federal law and does not relieve the company of its obligation to verify the account with documentation.

3. The Previous CFPB Case Was Closed Without Receiving Proper Validation In the earlier case XXXX, I requested validation and documentation of the account. I did not receive : A signed application Proof of identity used to open the account Billing statements Transaction history Notices of delinquency Account agreements or contracts Any written validation as required by federal law Because none of these documents were provided, the account is unverified. The closing of the earlier case does not change the fact that the information remains unvalidated and inaccurate. 

Closing a case without resolving the dispute does not mean the dispute is invalidit means the investigation was incomplete. That is why I am filing this new case as a rebuttal. 

4. This New Case Is a Rebuttal, Not a Duplicate I want to make it clear for the CFPB and the furnisher that : This is not a duplicate complaint This case is a rebuttal to the unresolved prior case The previous investigation was incomplete The company did not provide documentation The account remains inaccurate and unverified A rebuttal is necessary because the issue was not adequately addressed. The failure of the company to verify the account during the previous case requires that the matter be reopened and reviewed again with stricter attention to the legal requirements for reporting. 

5. The Companys New Response Still Does Not Validate the Account In their most recent response, the company stated : A cease-and-desist status was placed They forwarded my concerns to their fraud team They could not locate earlier fraud-related correspondence Fraud reviews may take up to 90 days However, none of these statements validate the account. 

Under the FCRA, a company must provide : The method of verification Copies of original documents Evidence that the account belongs to the consumer Proof that the reporting is accurate None of this was provided. This means the account remains unverified. 

A cease-and-desist order only stops collections. It does not prove the account is mine, nor does it justify continued reporting on my credit file. 

6. The Company Can not Continue Reporting Unverified Information Under federal law : A furnisher can not continue reporting information that is inaccurate or can not be verified. 

If a consumer disputes an account, the furnisher must validate with documents. 

If they can not validate, they must remove the information. 

Since validation has not been provided, the account should not remain on my report. 

7. The Companys Claim of No Violations of Law Is Unsupported The company stated in their response that they reviewed the account and found no violations of law. This statement is not meaningful without supporting documentation. 

To determine whether there were violations, a proper investigation must include : Review of original account records Confirmation of identity Assessment of the FTC Identity Theft Report Review of internal account histories Verification of all reporting dates None of this was disclosed in their response, and no evidence was provided demonstrating that a real investigation took place. 

8. A Fair and Proper Investigation Must Include Documentation For the company to legally continue reporting this account, they must provide : A signed credit application Identification used to open the account Billing and payment history Original creditor documentation Notices that were allegedly sent Copies of any fraud-related communications If they can not produce these documents, the account must be deleted from my credit report. 

9. Continued Reporting Is Causing Ongoing Harm Because this account does not belong to me and has never been validated, its presence on my credit file is causing : Lower credit scores Higher interest rates Denials for credit opportunities Emotional distress Loss of financial opportunities The damage continues as long as the account remains on my report. 

10. What I Am Requesting Through This New Complaint I am requesting that the CFPB require the company to : Fully validate the account with documentation Provide the method of verification Produce original records if they exist Remove the account if validation can not be provided Acknowledge and review my FTC Identity Theft Report Correct any inaccurate information Comply with all FCRA identity theft provisions Additionally, I request that the CFPB note that : The previous case was closed without proper investigation This new case is a rebuttal The issue remains unresolved I continue to dispute the account in full The company must conduct a lawful reinvestigation 11. Summary of Why This Case Must Be Reopened Properly To summarize : The account is not mine I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report The company did not validate the account The previous case was closed without resolution The company could not locate my fraud correspondence The account remains unverified This new case is a rebuttal, not a duplicate I am requesting deletion unless validation is provided A proper investigation must be conducted, and the company must provide documentation or remove the account. 

CONCLUSION This new CFPB case is being filed because case XXXX was closed without correcting the reporting or providing any proof that the account belongs to me. I do not own this account. I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report confirming this. The company 's latest response still did not include validation, documentation, or verification required under federal law. 

Therefore, this complaint is a rebuttal, not a duplicate, and is necessary to ensure legal compliance, proper investigation, and the removal of an account that does not belong to me. 

Thank you for reviewing this complaint.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief