Consumer complaint received 2024-12-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
This is an accurate written account of issues I have had with large corporations. Discover Bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX 

I have always had amazing credit. I got a Discover credit card in XXXX after separating from my ex husband. Only my name, my account. I hardly ever used my card and when I did I paid on time every month more than the required amount owed. I had always had trouble logging into my account and when I did everything looked fine, but I did notice my balance going up after a few months and I couldnt understand why. But I didnt see anything unusual at the time. It was in XX/XX/XXXX that I lost my job. I went on XXXX  and got an XXXX XXXX to help take care of my XXXX kids. I reached out and explained my situation to Discover and for a while they were happy to defer my payments. I paid a little here and there when I had a little extra money. 

I hardly ever received any paper mail from Discover with my transactions and balance paid amounts, which I changed many times on my account when I logged in. But again, I hardly ever used the card, it was more for emergencies. When I would get an email or paper mail from them it was, your payment of $ x is due on xx/xx ). So, I paid through my bank and their link. 

It was when I wasnt able to pay on a regular basis that my amount due kept going up and up. Again, I worked with them for a long time making sure I wouldnt mess my credit score up for being late. I have held over a XXXX ( mid XXXX ) for years and years and it took me over XXXX years to get it to that, then in less than a few months it went well below a XXXX for being late just a few times. 

Then in XXXX I started receiving mail from lawyers wanting to represent me in my case against Discover. I had no idea what they were talking about. I had not received ANYTHING from Discover in over a year and I had no idea they were now trying to sue me, through the help of XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX. I looked up my court number ( given by a mail lawyer ) in XXXX XXXX, XXXX Said Discover had written off my account but this law firm was coming after the total amount of over {$13000.00}, again I didnt even know what purchases were made in that amount, barring the few transactions I knew I had made and that was XXXX years earlier. Also, once I was unable to pay my account I was locked out completely from my online account. So I couldnt see that my charges were going up and up. I filed paperwork with the court requesting to see what all the charges were within my Discover account. I did receive these documents from the lawyer, however, they only sent dates XX/XX/XXXX and up. I had the card several months before that so I dont even know what was charged before that. Also, when I received the credit card statements there were missing dates and many line items were blackened out for me not to see the information. If you get the billing statements, look at the date and time for many of the purchases. I'd have to be in XXXX different states on the same exact days. Many times over. Hotels, restaurants, etc. 

Anyway, looking through the charges that I used I started noticing page after page of fraudulent charges from restaurants I never ate at nor heard of, plane travel to destinations I hadnt been to, theme parks, gas stations in cities I never drove through nor lived around, hotels, XXXX, travel insurance, the list goes on. I immediately called XXXX and told them what had happened. I also had XXXX other credit cards, of smaller spending limits that were both maxed out and they sent me to collections. XXXX XXXX and XXXX. I too got a hold of those statements and found they both had fraudulent charges. I disputed them with XXXX. Discover said, we investigated the charges and they were all correct and that I disagreed. They never even called me to ask me questions. I disputed all three credit cards with known fraudulent charges, which I would have been happy to furnish, but they all basically called me a liar. 

I also found out that my ex husband had opened up a XXXX XXXX in my name and with my information. When I called XXXX I spoke with a gentleman and after telling him my name, birth date, and social security, he told me he did see an account with this information but I wasnt allowed to access it and it was in my ex husbands name, but he had opened the account while we were still married, XXXX of XXXX is when he opened it. But the line went quiet and he asked me to hold a moment. A woman then got on the phone and told me the guy had made a mistake and my social security number was not associated with this account, but my name and other information was and that I wasnt allowed to have access to it and to forget about the account and delete the information I had to log in to the account. Then she hung up. 

My ex also was receiving the government checks, we legally separated in XXXX of XXXX, he kept receiving these checks but never told me about any of them. I have mailed in a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX of XXXX and I have still heard nothing from the IRS about where it was deposited to. I also ended up having to pay taxes on that money, that I didn't receive, instead of a single mom with XXXX kids getting the correct refund. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX has not been holding up their end of the bargain by making sure our information stays safe. I get spam calls and emails all the time. My bank account information has been stolen I don't know how many times and yet they still charge a fortune and won't be help responsible for financial pain and emotional suffering I have had to deal with regarding my credit card statements, bank accounts opening in my name, my social and name address etc being put on the dark web. My phone had been hacked, my emails had been hacked, I started not having any mail coming to me, including information from the IRS that I have been expecting and still havent received. Even in my new residence I was expecting a letter. Checked on the status and called and they said it was delivered to my address, but I never saw it. 

I have been taking all the necessary precautions to protect my identity, but keep getting beat down. These few accounts have completely ruined my credit and my ability to buy, rent, or get a mortgage. Large deposits have been required as a down payments, when Ive rented, security deposit, utility deposit, etc. which I have never had to do before. I am so frustrated. Once I sent the court document, I havent heard anything from anyone, including Discovers law firm. I finally contacted the law firm and Discover trying to get to the bottom of what needs to be done. The law firm said I needed to speak with Discover and Discover told me they didn't have anything to do with it any more. So I am not being helped with either party. Again, this has HUGELY impacted my life negatively. 

XXXX, XXXX, nor XXXX have helped either. They have just listened to what the companies have said and not me and what is on report doesn't help and have lowered my score. Also, XXXX and XXXX companies DO NOT have the right information on my credit file and they make it incredibly difficult to update anything and they cost a lot in order to view MY own credit score that I need to see if I have more identity theft problems. I can't even change my address and name on the accounts without calling them OR mailing MY personal information I.e a copy of my social security card, drivers license, passport, ummm all the items I'm trying to not have people steal easier then they already have. I have had phone numbers, addresses, accounts added to my credit report that were not nor ever have been mine. But they won't update my information until I mail them these items. They should just look at my social security number they have on file and review name changes and addresses, etc. 

I can send anyone the full statement reports if needed from Discover and their law firm. 
Please help, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief