Consumer complaint received 2017-10-06
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
It is my belief that I am dealing with identity theft. 

I 've been attempting to get in touch with Equifax, XXXX and XXXX to figure out what is going on with my credit. 

All three agencies have refused to give me any information when I called them on the phone. I was told by a representative from each agency to get my credit report. So I did that online as instructed. 

I found a multitude of discrepancies with each agency and basically the same ones, beginning with addresses that were listed under my name but where I have never lived, visited, held credit, was aware of, received any bills, credit cards, mortgages or any credit item for, addresses that were in XXXX, FL. I do not live in XXXX, FL. I have not mailing addresses or physical post boxes or any rentals there. I have never even visited the listed location. 

I also found name discrepancies. 

I also found charge-offs from XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX as well as accounts that were listed as being closed by customer, as opposed to closed by company. 
I 've never closed any accounts on my own. 

In fact, I recently went in to make a purchase at XXXX XXXX and only found out that there was anything wrong at all with my account at the register. I was refused an explanation by the company. 

Prior to all of this, I had perfect credit. I 've never been late on a single bill in my entire credit history aka life. 

Prior to this also, I got a letter notifying me that I no longer had the right to use my credit cards that were issued from XXXX XXXX XXXX. I went into the bank and asked why. The bank representative said that they were no longer in use and that they could not be reopened. 

He said he was not authorized to tell me the reason. I was told to just continue paying my bill I was also not given any information about how to find out what was happening or who to contact. Essentially no recourse. 

Then I got a letter from XXXX XXXX to say my credit card there was no longer valid. The bank closed my account. No explanation was given. I had nothing on the credit card. It was paid off. 

When recently visiting XXXX XXXX, CA I went to a XXXX XXXX to make sure that my credit was still open there. I purchased a water filter. My credit was fine. A month later I went into that same location to physically pay the bill. At that time, I was informed that I had 2 accounts opened and both were in arrears. It was the first time in over a year that I had even used the one account I actually knew I had. I had no knowledge of a 2nd account which was opened in XXXX, FL. I never received anything in the mail including an actual card or any billing statement of any kind. No one had ever called. 

So ... again I attempted to first call the Credit Bureaus, then inquire online about my credit. So far, I have not been able to complete a full dispute with any single reporting agency ( also can not make a formal police report without being able to show how the fraud was happening ) online. Many of the sections do not allow a completion of a formal complaint without a phone call. 

Now I just received an email from XXXX, only a few days after making a partial dispute online. No information whatsoever has been removed. I do n't know what companies they are contacting to discover the fraudulent addresses. 
And I feel as if I am getting the runaround. And in the meantime, my credit is being destroyed. I have no recourse whatsoever. I am frustrated. And someone is still out there using my identity. 

I also want to state, that last week, my husband just happened to be at a XXXX XXXX XXXX in California while at the very moment someone in the city of XXXX in the state of Georgia ( USA ) was at another XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX attempting to take control of my husband 's accounts. My husband had his id on hand and a representative was able to lock all the accounts preventing the person from arresting his credit cards, and perhaps any other accounts that might have been perceived easy to get into. This person was allowed to walk out of that bank. No arrest was made. And no further action/investigation was made other than issuing new accounts for my husband at the California location. 

On the same day that this happen someone also went into a XXXX XXXX to make a purchase with the account but without a card, as far as I know. However, XXXX XXXX  called me on my phone to alert me and we were able to prevent this. 
I fully believe that is identity theft as well. I also think some of this can be attributed to the recent Equifax breach. 

But I write this to give you an idea as to how extensive this fraud is and how we are realizing it. 

Following all of this, my husband and I both also went to the local Social Security office to report this and get a special locked ID. 

The issue is that I can not get anywhere, get any information and have absolutely no recourse - I am completely powerless to fight just my fraud alone. 

For some things I have proof. I have my identity cards and other normal items in my own possession. But how do I prove that I am NOT a person living at an address that I never even heard of. 

I am asking for your assistance with all three agencies. They are hostile. They are uncooperative. And I can not get anywhere. I have no recourse. I do n't know where to turn. I am elderly. I am XXXX. This process is extremely difficult made more difficult by the facts above.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief