Consumer complaint received 2025-12-04 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Card opened without my consent or knowledge
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint to report identity theft and Discover Banks negligent handling of a fraudulent credit-card account opened in my name. In XX/XX/XXXX, an unknown individual used my personal information to apply for and obtain approval for a Discover credit card. The application listed a mailing address in XXXX, TXa location with which I have absolutely no connection. Despite this clear red flag, Discover approved the application and mailed the physical card to that fraudulent XXXX address. 

At the time the fraudulent account was approved, I already had one legitimate Discover account in good standing, opened in XX/XX/XXXX and tied to my verified phone number, email, and address in XXXX, TX. That legitimate account was created under my verified information and was managed solely through the one Discover online login I had and knew existed. When I later attempted to log in following this incident, Discovers system unexpectedly prompted me to merge accounts, revealing that a completely separate second Discover login had been created using my identity. Discovers system should not have allowed a second account to be created using the same personal information already associated with a verified Discover profile. There should have been an automatic block or alert indicating that an account already existed under my identity. 

When I contacted Discover for clarification, they provided me with the fraudulent username, which allowed me to access the second profile and confirm that it listed the XXXX mailing addressfurther proving that an entirely separate Discover login had been created using my identity without my knowledge. 
No one other than myself has ever had access to my phone number or email account. My email is secured with two-factor authentication, and I have not lost, shared, or compromised any personal documents or credentials. Given these facts, there is no plausible explanation for how a second Discover credit-card account could have been created under my identity without a serious internal or system-level failure. The unauthorized user was able to apply for the card, receive it, create an online account, activate the card, and approve purchasesall without any verification through my registered phone or email. To date, Discover has failed to provide any explanation or records clarifying how this fraudulent account was created, what information was used in the application, or how transactions were approved without verification through my registered contact methods. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received alerts from Discover regarding a declined {$400.00} XXXX XXXX transaction. At the time, I did not fully understand the message and did not respond immediately. Despite no authorization from my registered phone number or email, the transaction that had been declined was approved only minutes later. I later saw the corresponding emails showing the initial decline followed by an approvaleven though I never clicked Yes, approved the charge, or confirmed anything. This demonstrates that the unauthorized user was able to approve purchases and continue activity on the fraudulent account without verification through my registered contact information. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, after replying No to the text message, I called Discover to report that the account was fraudulent. During that call, I logged into my Discover account and was immediately prompted to merge accounts, which is when I realized for the first time that a second Discover login had been created using my identity without my knowledge. The second online profile included my personal identifying information but listed a XXXX, TX mailing address with which I have no association. During multiple phone calls, I repeatedly explained that I had not applied for or authorized any additional Discover account, and that the information used for the fraudulent account did not match my verified address or login. Discover initially stated they would stop further transactions, leading me to believe the matter would be resolved. 

However, despite my repeated reports and explanation of why the account was fraudulent, Discover later sent a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, stating that no fraud occurred and that a replacement account had been established in my name. In response, on XX/XX/XXXX, I faxed a 36-page packet of supporting documentation to Discovers Fraud Department ( fax transmission confirmed OK ), including my FTC Identity Theft Report, police-report number, and proof of residence. Yet on XX/XX/XXXX, Discover acknowledged receipt but refused to reopen the investigation, claiming the matter had been previously investigated and resolved. These responses disregarded the new and material evidence I provided and demonstrate Discovers continued failure to comply with its obligations under 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when presented with additional proof of inaccuracy or fraud.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief