Consumer complaint received 2025-12-04 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:
I am submitting this complaint to report that every Portfolio Recovery Associates ( PRA ) account appearing on my credit reports is fraudulent, the result of identity theft, and was not opened, authorized, used, or recognized by me in any way. I have filed a formal FTC Identity Theft Report, and I have taken all proper legal steps to notify the credit bureaus, dispute these accounts, freeze my credit, and secure my identity. Despite these actions, Portfolio Recovery continues to report these fraudulent accounts, causing significant harm to my credit history, financial reputation, and overall personal wellbeing. 

This statement thoroughly explains what happened, the steps I have taken, the violations and failures on the part of Portfolio Recovery Associates, and why these accounts must be deleted immediately under federal law.

1. Discovery of Fraudulent Portfolio Accounts I discovered multiple Portfolio Recovery Associates accounts on my credit report that I did not recognize, did not open, and did not authorize. These accounts were reporting as : Collection accounts Charged-off accounts Past due balances Derogatory entries damaging my credit Portfolio Recovery is a debt buyer that often purchases charged-off accounts from original creditors. In this case, they purchased accounts that were created through identity theft, meaning PRA does not have legitimate ownership of these debts because no contract or agreement exists between me and any original creditor they claim to represent. 

The accounts attributed to me by Portfolio Recovery Associates do not reflect any legitimate credit relationship.

2. Filing of an FTC Identity Theft Report To formally document the violation and protect myself, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, confirming that : My identity was compromised Fraudulent accounts were opened without my knowledge I never authorized any of the credit activity Portfolio is reporting I did not benefit from or participate in any alleged debt associated with PRA Under FCRA 605B, once a consumer files an identity theft report, the furnisher ( Portfolio Recovery Associates ) is legally obligated to : Block, delete, and stop reporting the fraudulent information Conduct a reasonable and documented investigation Cease collection activity Provide verification if they believe the information is accurate Remove any unverifiable information Portfolio Recovery has not complied with these obligations.

3. Repeated Disputes and Attempts to Resolve the Issue I have repeatedly disputed these accounts with : XXXX XXXX XXXX Portfolio Recovery Associates directly In each dispute, I stated clearly that : I do not own these accounts I never authorized these accounts I never received bills, statements, or notices I never had any relationship with Portfolio Recovery I filed an identity theft report I demanded documentation of validation Despite this, Portfolio Recovery continued to verify the fraudulent accounts through automated e-Oscar responses, which do not constitute a valid investigation.

4. Portfolio Recovery Has Never Provided Any Verification Under the FCRA and FDCPA, PRA must provide : A signed credit agreement Original application Proof of identity used during account creation Records confirming I opened or used the account Proof of ownership and assignment from the original creditor A detailed debt history Portfolio Recovery has provided none of these documents. 

Because these accounts originated from identity theft, no verification exists, and Portfolio Recovery can not legally validate any alleged debt.

5. Portfolio Recovery Failed to Conduct a Reasonable Investigation When I disputed these fraudulent accounts, PRA was required under FCRA 623 ( b ) to : Review all evidence I provided Examine the identity theft report carefully Contact the original creditor Provide actual documentation Cease reporting unverifiable information Instead, PRA responded through : Automated system-generated responses Minimal review Verified as accurate claims with no proof A reasonable investigation can not be performed without documentation, and PRA has none.

This failure violates : FCRA 602 ( A ) FCRA 607 ( B ) FCRA 611 FCRA 623 ( a ) and ( b ) FDCPA requirements prohibiting deceptive or misle
ading reporting Portfolio Recoverys actions constitute negligent and willful noncompliance.

6. Portfolio Recovery Accounts Are Damaging My Credit Profile These PRA accounts have incorrectly impacted : My credit score My ability to obtain loans or financing My ability to qualify for lower interest rates My credit utilization ratios My overall creditworthiness Every fraudulent PRA tradeline that remains on my report unfairly portrays me as delinquent or financially irresponsible. This damages my credibility, my financial stability, and my future opportunities.

7. Identity Theft Indicators Prove These Accounts Are Not Mine The fraudulent Portfolio accounts contain clear red flags : Unknown account opening dates Unknown original creditor associations Addresses not connected to me Payment histories inconsistent with my financial behavior Past due balances that do not match any legitimate account Names or variations unrelated to my verified identity Portfolio Recovery is reporting accounts that were created by a third-party fraudster, not me.

8. Portfolio Recovery Must Stop Reporting These Accounts Under FCRA 605B Once an FTC Identity Theft Report is filed, furnishers must block fraudulent information within 4 business days unless they have verified evidence which PRA does not have. 

Portfolio Recovery has instead : Continued reporting Continued updating derogatory information Continued damaging my credit Continued claiming verification without any documentation This violates FCRA identity theft provisions and harms me with each passing month.

9. PRA Failed the Red Flags Rule Requirements Under the identity theft Red Flags Rule, furnishers must identify patterns of fraud. Portfolio Recovery acquired, reported, and attempted to collect on accounts that should have shown immediate fraud indicators. 

Their inability to detect or correct this demonstrates : Poor internal controls Inadequate fraud prevention systems Lack of compliance with federal regulations This failure contributed directly to the harm done to me.

10. Unauthorized Collections Were Attempted Portfolio Recovery attempted to collect on debts that : Do not belong to me Were never authorized Are tied to identity theft Can not be validated Attempting to collect fraudulent debts is a violation of the FDCPA, particularly provisions prohibiting : False or misleading representations Attempting to collect a debt not owed Reporting inaccurate information Because PRA never validated these debts, they were not allowed to pursue them.

11. Portfolio Recovery Has Caused Severe Damage and Hardship The fraudulent accounts have caused : Financial harm Credit score drops Denials for important financial products Emotional distress Compromised financial planning Time lost trying to resolve ongoing identity theft Portfolio Recoverys refusal to delete the accounts exacerbates the harm.

12. PRA Has No Evidence Linking Me to Any Debt Because the accounts were created through identity theft, PRA can not produce : Signed credit applications IP addresses tied to me My physical address on file Emails or communication from me Recorded phone calls from me Payment activity or ownership indicators This proves PRA does not have the right to report these accounts.

13. PRA Must Remove All Associated Hard Inquiries Portfolio Recovery or its affiliates may have accessed my credit file in connection with identity theft accounts. Any such inquiry : Was unauthorized Violates FCRA permissible purpose requirements Must be removed immediately These inquiries negatively impact my credit and must be deleted.

14. PRA Must Notify All Third-Party Furnishers Portfolio Recovery must inform : Any debt buyers Any collection agencies Any attorneys Any service providers Any data resellers that these accounts were fraudulent and must be deleted.

Failure to notify downstream users can cause these fraudulent debts to resurface.

15. PRA Must Provide an Official Statement Clearing Me of the Debts A fair resolution requires PRA to issue a formal document stating : These PRA accounts resulted from identity theft I owe Portfolio Recovery Associates nothing They have deleted all accounts They will not sell, transfer, or assign any related data They will permanently suppress any attempt to reinsert the information This protects my financial future and credit reputation.

16. Summary of What Happened To summarize : I am a victim of identity theft All PRA accounts are fraudulent I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report PRA failed to validate the accounts PRA continued to report inaccurate information PRA did not conduct a reasonable investigation PRA violated the FCRA and FDCPA PRA caused financial and emotional harm PRA must delete the accounts PRA must stop reporting and collecting PRA must block reinsertion PRA must issue written confirmation of non-liability Conclusion A fair and lawful resolution to this issue requires that Portfolio Recovery Associates immediately delete every PRA tradeline reporting on my credit file, cease all collection activities, provide written confirmation that I am not responsible for any associated debt, and ensure that these fraudulent accounts never reappear.

Portfolio Recovery has no evidence that I opened, authorized, or benefited from these accounts. I am a documented victim of identity theft. PRA is required by law to delete all fraudulent information, and I respectfully request that the CFPB enforce this requirement.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief