Consumer complaint received 2024-05-18 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: Crown Asset Management, LLC, Duluth, GA Branch
State: AL

Complaint narrative:
In 2021 there were 2 fraudulent credit card accounts at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX opened in my name, on the exact same day. I contacted XXXX and notified them that the accounts were not mine and I wanted to report Fraud. I was told to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Fraud Dept which I did the same day. The Fraud Specialist at XXXX XXXX informed me that the two accounts were opened on the exact same day, but one account had been closed due to fraud. However, the second account was not caught and the fraudulent account was used without any knowledge from XXXX XXXX or myself. I was assured that the fraudulent account was then going to be attempted to be bought back by XXXX XXXX XXXX where it would be investigated, marked as Fraud since it was opened on the same day as the other fraudulent account and closed. However, the unpaid account was not re-purchased by XXXX XXXX. Instead, the account was purchased by a debt collection agency called Crown Asset Management whom I had never received notice from regarding the Debt. When I attempted to contact Crown Asset, I was informed that the account was not managed by Crown Asset but by a 3rd agency called XXXX, who had been given the account from Crown Asset Management. I proceeded to report to the representative at XXXX my conversation and findings from my report to XXXX XXXX Fraud Specialist, and was reassured that it would be documented and the dispute would be passed to the Fraud department to address. The representative even told me that I would get notification of the account being closed and the change to the account reported to the Credit Bureaus so my credit report would no longer be impacted negatively. She encouraged me to notify Crown Asset Management, which i did via phone. A few days later, I received a very short email from XXXX stating that they had completed the investigation of my dispute and had verified the account. They included documentation proving their verification and upon review, i noted their documents were nothing but past due bills from BOTH fraudulent accounts, including the fraudulent account which XXXX had reported to me as closed. I disputed the findings to XXXX and included documentation to XXXX including my Identity Theft Report from the FTC and the ongoing investigation I had opened with XXXX, XXXX and XXXX with a detailed letter outlining my conversations with XXXX Fraud Dept. I never heard anything else regarding my dispute but continued to get emails from XXXX in an attempt to collect the debt. About 30-45 days after my dispute, I attempted to view the account with XXXX and found that the account was listed as " Closed. {$740.00} written off. '' No further attempts at collection would be made. Before I could attempt to inquire if that account was marked as Fraud, I then received a letter of debt collection from now a 4th party attempting to collect the debt. The company, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX requested a call regarding the account and if fraudulent to report it. I called the same day I received the letter and franticly explained to the representative everything that I had gone through with each company and that they had purchased an account that was fraudulent and should have been closed a long time ago. The representative tried to help, however, she seemed very confused during our conversation, and even started the conversation as if she had called ME. After my long discussed with her about the account, i was reassured that she would pass the information on and that hopefully they could get it closed for me. 1 month later, I received a large package in the mail from XXXX XXXX XXXX, stating that my recent communication about wanting " VERIFICATION '' of the debt was handled and to refer to enclosed documentation. To my shock, the documentation was the exact same bills XXXX had sent to me verifying the account for my dispute with them. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX still actively attempting to collect on this debt, and my disputes with credit reports has ended up with no resolution of the debt or removal of the account from my credit report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation