Consumer complaint received 2022-05-17
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: WA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Information belongs to someone else

Complaint:
In XX/XX/2022 my vehicle was stolen from a secure parking lot where I live and shortly after my business was broken into likely using keys found in the vehicle. Electronic devices including XXXX XXXX phones were obtained and other devices were secured by the thieves and these thieves were able to use My information and I continue to use it in attempting to obtain credit from various lenders. The XXXX Police continue to investigate and there are police reports and records related to the incident that I have attached here. 

SIM cards were removed from the devices that were obtained in my name and weeks later used in separate devices. Subsequent XXXX invoices issued to me in my name provided evidence of phone numbers and other information such as data they were used by the thieves weeks later. This was provided to XXXX police. 

My vehicle was eventually discovered weeks after the date of loss abandoned and my business is still attempting to recover. 

In my opinion, XXXX has been negligent and outright complicit in causing significant financial harm to me bordering on civil and potential criminal liability. Since day one they were advised of both the personal property theft and then the identity theft that has continued as the XXXX and other devices were obtained using information that was stolen from the original devices. XXXX insurance company even denied the personal property claims Without giving any explanation and my commercial coverage and recovery was limited and hindered by XXXX inept billing practices which despite the electronic devices being reported stolen and/or not authorized by me allowed additional data use and invoices to be sent out identifying the devices as ones that werent the original ones stolen but rather ones ( data packages are controlled by the Sims and even if a phone blacklisted the XXXX if not deactivated by XXXX can XXXX used ) and data continued to pile up on the Sims that were removed from those devices and placed into separate devices. In short, XXXX sent invoices to me that included IMEIs for devices that werent part of the original crime ( but were the IMEIs of other phones that were used by the thieves but SIMs from phones taken from my business were used in the separate phones connecting me by default. The result is XXXX Is charging me for devices that were not purchased by me and is trying to make me pay for data and service used by the same people who stole from me. 

It gets worse During that same period, a review of my credit reports shows dozens of hard inquiries by lenders 1 ) that I currently had relationships with such as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 2 ) other lenders that I had not given any permission or authorization to run my credit. 

Both existence of groups suggest in my mind that there was an ongoing attempt to secure credit ( and vehicles ) and by these thieves using info for accounts I already had and my personal info for other lenders. I have active alerts in place through monthly paid plans at all three credit bureaus and if not for these alerts the thieves would have been successful. 

I was eventually able to get XXXX to issue a XXXX balance owed. But last week I received a bill for over {$4000.00} From XXXX which includes charges for the devices that I did not authorize be purchased in my name and for data and plans that were not used by me and includes the period of time after I expressly told XXXX that the services and data were not mine nor were they being used by me. XXXX well knows that any plan would not have been put in my name. 

Ive attempted to communicate this to the CRAs relative to the dozens of inquires made by lenders but to date the inquiries remain. I have attached a list of the lenders that are showing with hard inquiries and it should be noted that Ive reached out to each lender and communicated as best I can that these are not permissible or authorized by me. I have received letters from several of the lenders indicating as much. I also have an invoice for {$4000.00} from XXXX thats in my name and Im not sure watch where to turn to get this resolved given that they had already worked with us and issued a XXXX dollar balance but now the balance due is over {$4000.00}. 

My personal credit is important to me and its central to my business growth as well as my ability to move forward and I dont believe that XXXX has taken the appropriate steps nor do they have a system in place with their insurance provider, their billing department or their customer service dept that allows them to properly respond or address these matters. They do not have a point of reference for customers as far as I know that deals with this on the consumer side. 

Whats so frustrating about this is that identity theft is on the rise and the credit bureaus and companies like XXXX market certain plans and protections for exactly this yet when it comes to actually working with the consumer I believe that the companies and the bureaus readily dismiss identity theft claims and put the burden on the victim to prove something that shouldnt take more than a split second to look at it and determine is true based on patterns and the facts presented. 

I even had a call into Experian on the hard inquiries Result into what strongly appears to be a follow up by a unscrupulous actor pretending to be from Experian and asking for all sorts of personal information that wouldve been outside the lines of what the bureaus wouldve needed or asked for and now Im left with really a bad taste about the likelihood of any of us being remedied. 

Its especially disheartening since in this case there are plenty of ways to document what Im saying namely the XXXX Police Department and police reports and supplemental records that are on file. Further its one thing for them to you drop the ball as it pertains to just their customer service but their actions have exacerbated the original harm that I received by the thieves actions not just personally but also professionally as my commercial insurance coverage as I mentioned earlier was limited by the inaccurate records and invoices that were issued to me in my name from XXXX that showed Matters that were not consistent with what I was saying occurred. Of course eventually I was able to get past that but it was not without some unnecessary and stressful communication. 

I need help with the hard inquiries at the credit bureau level and I need help with XXXX in communicating that Im the victim of a crime here and that this invoice must go away and that my name and my credit not be affected.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief