Consumer complaint received 2018-01-11
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Complaint:
For approximately 4 months I have has an ongoing issue with information that Equifax is reporting on my credit file and information that is being given out to credit underwriters. Following my last complaint Equifax did remove XXXX erroneous collection accounts from my file and placed an extended fraud alert on my credit file as I requested. I thought that maybe this matter had been put to rest finally. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Florida wanting the verify that I had applied for credit at one of there location in XXXX XXXX XXXX Florida XXXX which I had not. I advised the called that I had not applied for credit and explained that I have a fraud alert on my credit file due to identity theft that I have been dealing with now for several months. She verified my name and I tried to find out more information about this credit application, however she stated that since I said it was not me she could not give me any information. Within 5 minutes my husband received a call on his cell phone from the same woman asking for me. Since he had been in the same room when I spoke with her he said " well did n't you just talk to her? '' and she ended the call. I called the number back, XXXX, and spoke with a supervisor and asked how they got mine and my husbands phone numbers, were they listed on this person 's credit application? She said no, they had received the numbers from Equifax to verify the credit application. At this time I asked again if they could verify if all of my information was used on the credit application because I am now thinking I may need to file another police report and also is my husband affected as well. She said she could not give me the information however if I wanted to give her the last XXXX digits of my social security number she could verify if it was the same as on the application, which it was not the same. Next I called the local XXXX store in XXXX XXXX, XXXX, in order to ensure that they were not going to allow someone to make purchases with credit obtained in my name. I spoke with XXXX who told me that they had already denied the credit application and the sale would not be made. He proceeded to tell me that he remembered the woman that came in, she was with her daughter, and he had her application right there. He gave me the phone number that was listed on her application and it was not my number. He also gave me the alternate number that she listed and that also was not my number nor my husband 's number. At that point he verified that Equifax had provided both numbers to their credit underwriters for verification purposes however he said it seems that this woman legitimately has the same name as me, but she is not using my personal information at all. After hanging up with him, I immediately called Equifax and spoke with a person named XXXX, I was given this name after the fact so I am not positive this was really his name but supposedly the call was being recorded ( date and time of call was XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, XXXX, however I was on hold for a while, the call lasted a total of 45 minutes ). I tried to explain to XXXX that my information was given out for someone else 's credit application and I needed to find out how to get this taken care of so it does not happen again. I tried to explain multiple times the part that there is apparently another person with the same name living in XXXX XXXX, the same city I live, but she is not using my SSN or address or phone numbers however when XXXX pulled the credit file they were given my information from Equifax. XXXX told me that did not happen, that there are no inquiries on my file, and that I needed to call the credit provider back. After multiple attempts of trying to get him to understand that I believe my file has been mixed with someone else 's, and what it seems is that when I placed the extended fraud alert on my file, my contact information was also added to the other person 's file. He insisted that did not happen, saying again there is no inquiry on my file, and added that there are no phone numbers on my credit file at all so therefore there is no way Equifax gave out my information. I asked why there is no phone number because the fraud alert should contain contact information so that I can be contacted if I do apply for credit. He said no, there is no number on my file. At that point I asked to speak with a supervisor and XXXX asked me why. I said because I need to get my personal contact information removed from this other person 's credit file, he told me there was no need to talk to a supervisor because I would be told the same thing. I asked again to please transfer me to a supervisor or someone else that could help me. He stated again there is no need. I waited a minute and he was still on the line, so I asked if he was transferring my call, he said no there is no need and repeated that I would be given the same response. At this point I was furious and I demanded that he transfer me to a supervisor right now. After telling me one more time I will get the same response he finally placed me on hold. It took about 10 minutes longer for a person who said her name was XXXX answered the call saying that she was the supervisor. I explained in detail again about the calls my husband and I had received and about the information I was given by XXXX, that the SSN 's were not the same nor were the telephone numbers and therefore I believe my contact information has been erroneously added to someone else 's credit file and that Equifax is providing my information in error. I also asked again why my extended fraud alert does not include my contact information on my own file. She was unable to answer my questions other than the same response as I received from XXXX that there were no inquiries on my credit file nor any phone numbers, she could not answer why there was no contact information listed on my fraud alert. I am attaching the original extended fraud alert request that was sent to Equifax on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX which lists all of my contact information to be included with the alert on my credit file, I am also attaching the notice I received from Equifax dated XXXX/XXXX/XXXX stating the extended fraud alert has been placed on my credit file, and I am attaching a current copy of the personal information section of my Equifax credit file showing the alert being placed however no contact information included ( I have redacted parts of my SSN and DL # 's ). I have verified with XXXX and XXXX and both agencies have contact information included on my extended fraud alert. I believe that Equifax added my contact information to the incorrect person 's credit file and are now providing my contact information for that person.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation