Consumer complaint received 2023-12-13
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Information belongs to someone else

Complaint:
Between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, several fraudulent accounts and charges appeared on my credit reports, including : Credit Card Accounts : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : Account Number XXXX, opened in XX/XX/XXXX with a total fraudulent amount of {$210000.00}. Discovered in XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX : Account Number XXXX, opened in XX/XX/XXXX with a total fraudulent amount of {$490.00}. Discovered in XX/XX/XXXX. 
Auto Loan Accounts : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : Account Number XXXX, opened in XX/XX/XXXX with a total fraudulent amount of {$26000.00}. Discovered in XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : Account Number XXXX, opened in XX/XX/XXXX with a total fraudulent amount of {$25000.00}. Discovered in XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : Account Number XXXX, opened in XX/XX/XXXX with a total fraudulent amount of {$26000.00}. Discovered in XX/XX/XXXX. 
Credit Inquiries : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Sync Other Fraudulent Activity : Unapproved charges on my credit card issued by the credit card company. 
Potential misuse of my personal information, including my Social Security number and date of birth ( as indicated by the credit inquiries ). 
Recent Data Breaches : It is important to note that several recent data breaches have exposed the personal information of millions of individuals, making them vulnerable to identity theft and financial fraud. These breaches include : XXXX 's : 300 stores affected by point-of-sale malware ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX hackers claimed responsibility for the breach ( XX/XX/XXXX ) FBI and DHS employees : Personal information of 30,000 individuals leaked ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX : 250 hotels across 50 countries hit by a data breach ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX : Payment card data breach affecting an unknown number of customers ( XX/XX/XXXX ) These breaches, along with the fraudulent activity on my credit reports, raise concerns that my personal information may have been compromised. 

Case Law Supporting Account Blocking : The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Section 605B grants consumers the right to dispute inaccurate information appearing on their credit reports. The unauthorized accounts, charges, and inquiries listed above are clearly inaccurate and have negatively impacted my creditworthiness. 

Several case laws support the request for blocking these fraudulent accounts and inquiries : Ray v. Experian Information Solutions , Inc. ( 9th Cir. 2016 ) : Established the consumer right to dispute inaccurate information, even if originating from a third-party source.

Miller v. Trans Union LLC ( 9th Cir. 2018 ) : Clarified the FCRA 's dispute process, emphasizing credit bureaus ' duty to investigate disputes and remove inaccurate information.

Furnishers ' Obligations Regarding Disputed Information ( FTC Rule 611 ( d ) ) : Mandates furnishers, such as credit card companies and auto lenders, to investigate disputed information within 30 days and provide results. 
Additional Information : My FTC Report Numbers are XXXX and XXXX. 
I have placed a fraud alert on my credit reports and contacted law enforcement to report the fraudulent activity. 
I have contacted the respective credit card companies, auto lenders, credit bureaus, and financial institutions involved to dispute the unauthorized accounts and charges. 
I am prepared to provide any additional information that may be helpful in resolving this issue. 
I trust that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) will respect my rights under the FCRA and FTC rules to resolve this issue. 
Request : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) is requested to investigate this matter and take necessary action to : Block the fraudulent accounts listed above from my credit reports. 
Ensure the credit bureaus remove any inaccurate information related to these accounts, inquiries, and charges from my credit reports and update them accordingly. 
Investigate the unauthorized credit inquiries as potential identity theft attempts.

Company response to consumer: In progress