Consumer complaint received 2023-12-07
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: IL
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
To Whom It May Concern,

I am filing this formal complaint as a victim of the widely publicized Equifax data breach. I have been directly affected, as evidenced by the attached Equifax communication confirming the breachs impact on my personal information.

As a result of this breach, multiple unauthorized and erroneous entries have appeared on my credit report, which I believe have been sold and bought illegally. These negative accounts are as follows:
XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
90
60
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
Equifax Late Payment History
90
60
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Credit Card
Account Status:
Derogatory
Show More
Dispute Account:

All Bureaus

XXXX XXXX

Equifax
XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
150
120
90
60
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
Equifax Late Payment History
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Credit Card
Account Status:
Derogatory
Balance Owed:
XXXX
Date Opened:
XX/XX/XXXX
High Balance:
XXXX
Closed Date:
Account Description:
Individual
Dispute Status:
Creditor Remarks:
Charged off as bad debt Dispute resolved; reported by grantor
Payment Amount:
XXXX
Last Payment:
XX/XX/XXXX
Term Length:
XXXX
Past Due Amount:
XXXX
Account Type:
Revolving
Payment Frequency:
Credit Limit:
XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date Reported:
XX/XX/XXXX

XXXX XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
RF
RF
CO
CO
CO
CO
90
90
60
30
OK
OK
Equifax Late Payment History
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Auto Loan
Account Status:
Derogatory
Balance Owed:
XXXX
Date Opened:
XX/XX/XXXX
High Balance:
XXXX
Closed Date:
Account Description:
Individual
Dispute Status:
Creditor Remarks:
Charged off as bad debt Dispute resolved; reported by grantor
Payment Amount:
XXXX
Last Payment:
XX/XX/XXXX
Term Length:
72
Past Due Amount:
XXXX
Account Type:
Installment
Payment Frequency:
Credit Limit:
XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date Reported:
XX/XX/XXXX
Last Verified:
XXXX XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
RF
RF
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
90
60
30
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
Equifax Late Payment History
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Auto Loan
Account Status:
Derogatory
Balance Owed:
XXXX
Date Opened:
XX/XX/XXXX
High Balance:
XXXX
Closed Date:
Account Description:
Individual
Dispute Status:
Creditor Remarks:
Charged off as bad debt Dispute resolved; reported by grantor
Payment Amount:
XXXX
Last Payment:
XX/XX/XXXX
Term Length:
XXXX Past Due Amount:
XXXX
Account Type:
Installment
Payment Frequency:
Credit Limit:
XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date Reported:
XX/XX/XXXX
Last Verified:
XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
CO
CO
150
120
90
60
30
OK
OK
150
120
90
60
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
Equifax Late Payment History
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Credit Card
Account Status:
Derogatory
Balance Owed:
XXXX
Date Opened:
XX/XX/XXXX
High Balance:
XXXX
Closed Date:
Account Description:
Individual
Dispute Status:
Creditor Remarks:
Charged off as bad debt Dispute resolved; reported by grantor
Payment Amount:
XXXX
Last Payment:
XX/XX/XXXX
Term Length:
XXXX
Past Due Amount:
XXXX
Account Type:
Revolving
Payment Frequency:
Credit Limit:
XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date Reported:
XX/XX/XXXX
Last Verified:
XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
CO
CO
150
120
90
60
OK
OK
150
120
60
30
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
Equifax Late Payment History
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Credit Card
Account Status:
Derogatory
Balance Owed:
XXXX
Date Opened:
XX/XX/XXXX
High Balance:
XXXX
Closed Date:
Account Description:
Individual
Dispute Status:
Creditor Remarks:
Charged off as bad debt Dispute resolved; reported by grantor
Payment Amount:
XXXX
Last Payment:
XX/XX/XXXX
Term Length:
XXXX
Past Due Amount:
XXXX
Account Type:
Revolving
Payment Frequency:
Credit Limit:
XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date Reported:
XX/XX/XXXX
Last Verified:
XXXX XXXX XXXX
Open options
XXXX Late Payment History
XXXX Late Payment History
CO
CO
Equifax Late Payment History
Account #:
XXXX
Add a custom Message
Last Reported on:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
XXXX XXXX
Equifax
Payment Status:
Collection/Chargeoff
Account Rating:
Creditor Type:
Unknown - credit extension, review, or collection
Account Status:
Derogatory
Balance Owed:
XXXX
Date Opened:
XX/XX/XXXX
High Balance:
XXXX
Closed Date:
Account Description:
Individual
Dispute Status:
Creditor Remarks:
Customer disputed account - reported by subscriber. Account seriously past due date/account assigned to attorney, collection agency, or credit grantor's internal collection department.
Payment Amount:
XXXX
Last Payment:
-
Term Length:
XXXX
Past Due Amount:
XXXX
Account Type:
Open Account
Payment Frequency:
Credit Limit:
XXXX
Date of Last Activity:
XX/XX/XXXX
Date Reported:
XX/XX/XXXX
Last Verified:


In the aftermath of the breach, I have spent significant time and resources attempting to correct my credit report, including:

		Calling Equifax repeatedly to dispute errors;
		Drafting and mailing dispute letters;
		Examining credit reports for inaccuracies;
		Visiting the post office to send communications;
		Engaging in certified mail transactions for legal proof of dispatch and receipt.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), I have the right to dispute inaccurate information on my credit report and request a detailed investigation. Equifaxs acknowledgment of the data breach incident, which led to the exposure of my sensitive personal data, substantiates the invalidity of the accounts listed.

I am seeking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus assistance in ensuring that these inaccuracies are investigated and that the wrongful accounts are deleted from my credit report promptly.

I am requesting that the CFPB facilitate the following actions:

	1.	An immediate and thorough investigation into the disputed accounts.
	2.	Engagement with Equifax to ensure the deletion of these inaccuracies.
	3.	Confirmation of the removal of all erroneous entries from my credit report.

Enclosed are all the relevant documents, including proof of the data breach acknowledgment from Equifax and records of my efforts to remedy this situation.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. I am looking forward to a resolution that rectifies the damages I have suffered due to this data breach.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation