Can A Debt Buyer Post A Collections Account To My Credit After I Told Them Its Identity Theft?

I have had ongoing problems with identity theft since 2013. To date my information has been compromised in the OPM/IRS data breach, Comcast/Xfinity data breach, and now the ATT data breach. I also have an ex who opened credit cards in my name after I filed for divorce but the police never managed to file charges, he is incarcerated for unrelated charges at this time. My identity monitoring service (paid for by OPM/IRS) and Google accounts regularly report that my information is on the Dark Web. I have to keep my credit files frozen and use a pin number to file my taxes.

In 2022 and 2023 I was alerted somebody in Alaska had opened up what appears to be a Fingerhut credit card in my name and maxed it out in 2020. I have repeatedly disputed this with Fingerhut and the three credit bureaus in a timely manner. I can prove I am a lifelong California resident and I have never lived in Alaska.

In February of this year I received an email from Resurgent/LVNV funding basically stating that I need to pay them for this fraudulent Fingerhut account. I responded via certified mail that it’s not my debt, it’s id theft, that I refused to enter in to any contract with them, and that I would not pay. I also told them not to contact me again. Last week I received a bill in the mail from their affiliate Credit Control LLC stating I needed to pay them for this Fingerhut account. I sent the same letter via certified mail this week and the tracking number says it will arrive on 4/22.

This morning I received an alert that LVNV has reported a collections account to Experian. I have disputed this with Experian. I have the following questions:

1. Can LVNV legally report a collections account after I disputed it in writing?

2. Can Credit Control LLC legally report a collections account after I disputed it in writing ? Can the court force me to pay both companies for one debt? Is it legal for Resurgent to keep passing off this fraudulent collection off to each of its affiliates.

3. If I am sued I will most definitely respond and go to court. Do I have a good defense under California law? Hiring an attorney might cost me more than the $1100 theyre trying to get out of me and I will probably have to represent myself.