Consumer complaint received 2023-11-18
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MA
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act Section 611 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681I ), I am exercising my right to challenge questionable information that I have found on my personal credit report. A fraudulent application for credit was submitted in my name without my knowledge or approval to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX pulled my Equifax credit report on the same day, resulting in the following hard inquiry : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I am disputing the above hard inquiry, which I did not authorize. I understand that inquiries are a factual record of file access and are not routinely removed from an individuals credit file, however this inquiry is the result of fraudulent activity and is adversely affecting my credit standing. Given this, I request that you promptly remove the fraudulent inquiry from my credit file. It is essential that my credit report accurately reflects my credit history. If it is not possible to remove the inquiry entirely, I request that it be recoded as a soft inquiry so that it will no longer have a negative impact on my credit score. I have already filed 3 disputes through your online dispute center requesting that you remove or recode the inaccurate information from my file, and you have failed to do so. The reference confirmation numbers for these disputes are as follows : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Despite being provided with the option to select I believe I am a victim of fraud or identity theft and this inquiry is not mine through your online dispute filing process, I was informed upon calling your office on XX/XX/2023 that disputes involving fraud can not be handled online. If this is the case, your online dispute process is clearly misleading. I have also already filed complaints with the XXXX XXXX XXXX and the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office, resulting in 2 more disputes being opened and closed with no remedy. The reference confirmation numbers for these disputes are as follows : XXXX, submitted on XX/XX/2023 XXXX, submitted on XX/XX/2023 Accordingly, I can show a judge that this hard inquiry is inaccurate and that you violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by ignoring my requests to remove or recode the inquiry. My previous disputes and complaints stated my reasons for an investigation, and these reasons were not frivolous in any way. I take my credit very seriously, and your lack of professionalism and assistance is unacceptable. I am well aware of my rights under the FCRA and intend to pursue them to the maximum. I have attached documents to substantiate my claim regarding unauthorized access to my credit file as a result of fraudulent activity. Please provide a response confirming your actions in this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation