Consumer complaint received 2021-12-20
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NY
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:
I was a victim of identity theft. Someone obtained my personal information and tried to open multiple credit card accounts in my name. I was alerted by two banks that wanted me to confirm my application. I have called and told them that I never applied for those cards. They advised me to check my credit report. This is what happened after : 1. XX/XX/2021 Ran a 3-in-1 credit report and found out that there is an account with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX opened in my name with a balance of {$23000.00}. There were also 4 Hard inquiries from banks that I never applied for credit. There was also an address added to my profile that did not belong to me. The address was reported by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The address was : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY XXXX. 

2. XX/XX/2021 Contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and reported fraudulent account. 
Received an email confirmation with incident number : XXXX ( Attached ) 3. XX/XX/2021 Went to file the police report in XXXX XXXX. XXXX. They asked me for some document from the bank showing the account and balance. I only had the credit bureau report. Called the bank for that information they refused to provide it and said that the police would have to subpoena it. I went back to XXXX  precinct and explained the situation. They contacted XXXX precinct and after long discussion took the report based on the credit bureau report. ( The slip with report number attached. I sent out request to Police Plaza for actual copy of the report but have not received anything yet. ) 4. XX/XX/2021 Contacted Equifax, put a freeze on my credit and opened up a dispute with them for the XXXX XXXX account confirmation # XXXX ( fraudulent account and 3 fraudulent inquiries ), XXXX ( fraudulent address ), XXXX ( my previous addresses ), XXXX ( fraudulent employment ). 

5. XX/XX/2021 - Contacted XXXX, put a freeze on my credit and opened up a dispute with them. 


6. XX/XX/2021 - Contacted XXXX, put a freeze on my credit and opened up a dispute with them. 
7. XX/XX/2021 Received letter from Equifax that the fraudulent address from dispute XXXX was removed. 

8. XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX Received letter from Equifax that the former addresses from dispute XXXX have been deleted. 

9. XX/XX/2021 Received letter from Equifax confirming security freeze fraud alert. 

10. XX/XX/2021 Received an email from Equifax confirming the dispute XXXX 11. XX/XX/2021 Filed FTC report number XXXX. ( Copy attached ) 12. XX/XX/2021 Received email from Equifax to check the investigation results in my dispute center. The result was : We have researched the credit account. Account # - XXXX The results are : WE VERIFIED THAT THIS ITEM BELONGS TO YOU. On XX/XX/2021 received the official letter in the mail. Confirmation : XXXX ( Copy attached ). 

13. XX/XX/2021 Received email from XXXX that dispute results are updated. When I looked at the results, nothing was changed. 

14. XX/XX/2021 Called XXXX XXXX Again and was told that investigation is not over yet. Spoke to XXXX. Also sent copy of police report ( slip number ), copy of FTC report and dispute letter with demand to provide all documents related to this case. Received confirmation email that the document were received. ( Copy of email attached ). 

15. XX/XX/2021 Contacted XXXX and reopened a dispute also added police report and FTC report to the file through upload page. Received email that file was successfully uploaded. 

16. XX/XX/2021 Received email that XXXX updated balance to {$25000.00}. 

17. XX/XX/XXXX Tried to call XXXX XXXX. After 40 minutes on hold finally got through the security department. Was told that it still needs to go through credit cards department and that investigation is still not completed. After asking how much longer it will take was disconnected. 

18. XX/XX/2021 Checked XXXX credit report and the account wasnt there anymore, however it was on XX/XX/2021 report and I never received a confirmation that it was removed. May be it was removed and they just never notified me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation