Consumer complaint received 2023-04-21
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Complaint:
In brief, there are three problems I need to report : ( 1 ) Equifax has repeatedly refused to remove a fraudulent hard inquiry from my credit report, insisting that the hard inquiry is " factual. '' ( 2 ) Equifax has repeatedly refused to place a seven-year fraud alert on my credit report, even though : XXXX implemented a seven-year fraud alert ; XXXX says that Equifax and XXXX were XXXX of the seven-year alert as required ; and XXXX has in fact received that notice and implemented a seven-year alert. Equifax has given conflicting reasons for why they have not placed the seven-year alert. One Equifax representative claimed that they received the seven-year alert from XXXX, but could not add a seven-year alert because I had already placed an initial one-year alert. A second Equifax representative claimed that Equifax had not received any sort of notice or notification from XXXX. 

( 3 ) XXXX has refused to send Equifax another notification of the seven-year alert. 

For the full details, please see the following : On XX/XX/2023, someone fraudulently tried to open two credit cards in my name. I became aware of this on XX/XX/2023, when I received an email that a hard inquiry had appeared on my credit report. I checked my credit reports and found two hard inquiries : one on my Equifax credit report and one on my XXXX credit report. Both involved retail store credit cards ( XXXX XXXX  and XXXX XXXX , respectively ) for which I have never applied. 

I first filed disputes with both Equifax and XXXX. 

I next called XXXX, who confirmed that a credit card had been opened using my name and Social Security number ( but not my driver 's license number or phone number ). Using the XXXX card, this person made two purchases, in the amounts of {$440.00} and {$55.00}, both on XX/XX/2023, and both at XXXX XXXX # XXXX in XXXX, California. The XXXX representative told me that they had put a block on the card and flagged it as fraudulent. 

After this call, I placed security freezes on my credit reports with all three bureaus. I also filed a one-year initial fraud alert with all three bureaus, and created an FTC Identity Theft Report. 

I also heard back from Equifax and XXXX regarding the disputes I had filed. XXXX removed the hard inquiry from my credit report. Equifax, however, said the hard inquiry was " factual '' and refused to remove it. When I called Equifax about this problem, and told them that XXXX had confirmed that the card was opened fraudulently, the Equifax representative insisted that the hard inquiry was " factual, '' and told me that they would only remove it if they received documentation from XXXX or the FTC. 

On XX/XX/2023, I next called XXXX ( the bank issuing the XXXX XXXX credit card ). The XXXX representative informed me that someone had attempted to open a card in my name ( using the same driver 's license number and phone number from the XXXX application ), on XX/XX/2023, at XXXX XXXX Store # XXXX in XXXX, California. The XXXX representative informed me that the company had not approved the credit card application. The representative voided the application and marked it as fraudulent, so that it could not be reopened or continued in the future. 

While I was on the phone with the XXXX representative, she called a XXXX representative and connected them to our call. The XXXX representative and I explained the fraudulent attempts to open a credit card using my name and XXXX, and the XXXX representative stated that they would place a seven-year fraud alert on my credit report, and, as required by law, forward that alert to XXXX and Equifax within 24 hours. 

Also on XX/XX/2023, after receiving information from both credit card companies, I opened a case with the XXXX Police Department, since the applications for the cards were both filed at retail stores in XXXX, California. At the XXXX XXXX XXXX 's request, I sent the XXXX an email detailing all the information I had learned from the two credit card companies. 

On XX/XX/2023, I called Equifax to check if the seven-year fraud alert had been added to my credit report. The Equifax representative told me that they had not received anything from XXXX, and that my account reflected only the initial one-year fraud alert. I also asked if it would be possible to remove the hard inquiry as fraudulent, now that I had confirmation from XXXX, as well as a case number with the XXXX XXXX. The Equifax representative insisted that that the hard inquiry was " factual, '' and told me that they would only remove it if they received documentation from XXXX or the FTC. 

Also on XX/XX/2023, I next called XXXX to ask whether they had placed the seven-year alert and forwarded it to XXXX and Equifax. The XXXX representative confirmed that my XXXX credit report reflected a seven-year fraud alert, and that the alert had been forwarded to both XXXX and Equifax. The XXXX representative recommended that I check back with the other bureaus after XX/XX/2023, because that would give the other bureaus a full week to receive notice and implement the seven-year alert. 

On XX/XX/2023, I called XXXX to check the status of the seven-year alert. The XXXX representative confirmed that they had received the notice from XXXX and that my XXXX credit report reflected a seven-year alert. 

On XX/XX/2023, I called Equifax to check the status of the seven-year alert. I received conflicting information from Equifax. The first Equifax representative told me that they had received the notice from XXXX, but because my account already reflected the initial one-year alert, they were unable to change the one-year alert to the seven-year alert. I asked to speak to a supervisor who could make this change for me. I was transferred to a second Equifax representative, who told me that they had not received any notice from XXXX. The second Equifax representative told me that I had two options : I could either contact XXXX to confirm that they had sent the notice, or I could send Equifax all of the documentation required for Equifax to place a seven-year alert. 

Also on XX/XX/2023, I called XXXX to confirm the status of the seven-year alert. The XXXX representative reaffirmed that XXXX had placed a seven-year alert and notified the other bureaus. I explained that Equifax might not have received the notification, and I asked if it would be possible to send Equifax the notification again. The XXXX representative told me that it was not their policy to do so, and that they would not be able to send Equifax another notice of the seven-year alert. I also asked XXXX if they could send documentation of the seven-year alert directly to me, so that I could forward it to Equifax. The XXXX representative refused, saying it was not their policy to do so. 

Also on XX/XX/2023, I called Equifax again to tell them that XXXX had definitely sent the notification of the seven-year alert, and I asked that the seven-year alert be placed on my account. The Equifax representative told me that my only option was to send Equifax all of the documentation required for Equifax to place a seven-year alert. 

At this point, I decided to contact the CFPB.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation