Consumer complaint received 2021-03-29
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
This is a letter of complain regarding Equifax credit bureau online access registration process and method that has caused me a lot of troubles and should be changed to much stronger and secure method to prevent further fraud. Equifax has given to a stranger/scammer/hacker/thief access by enrolling online account using my name and information to review my credit report without my authorization. This is violation of my right and privacy. Equifax as a major credit agency is accountable to protect my information that has failed to do so. 

I am victim of identity theft and fraud and placed one year alerts on my credit file and social security on XX/XX/XXXX and also Freeze on XX/XX/XXXX. Later on XX/XX/XXXX, also seven years alerts were added to my credit file and social security. 

In order to closely monitor my account, I tried to open online account in Equifax web site on XX/XX/XXXX. When I tried to open a new account with my name and information, the system did not allow me and said that I already had an account that I never had. 

I called the Equifax online customer service support and explained the problem. I was told by the representative on XX/XX/XXXX that someone had already used my name and information and registered and opened online account on XX/XX/XXXX. I was shocked how this was possible. I never informed before and could not understand how an credit bureau agency that supposed to protect the credit has allowed such a fradulent activity happen. I also disputed the fraud activities happened on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX when I spoke with the representative that date. He also informed me that someone has used this email that did not belong to me ad never used by me before : XXXX I already reported the fraud to police on XX/XX/XXXX and have detective assigned to my case that also should investigate this fradulent activity using my name and wrong email address to get access to credit reports and private information via online access that has been given by Equifax agency without even notifying me by mail or by phone even though I have talked to different representative after discovering fraud on my XXXX accounts on XX/XX/XXXX. 

The scammer/thief has taken advantage of my accounts for ATM cash out, purchases in different stores, and applied with my name for personal loan of {$20000.00} last month that was approved due to my excellent credit. 

I have already disputed all those fradulent charges and activities with the bank and Equifax agency and disputed the fradulent inquiries on my credit reports that was not requested by me and done by someone else who stole my identity and information. 

I never had any change of address recently. I have lived in my house for long time and had same phone numbers and email address that Equifax agency did not check to make sure the person who was trying to enroll on the website Equifax account was really me and not scammer and fraud person. 

I am very disappointed that major credit agency like Equifax does not have advance methods to identify and authenticate the person to prevent such a fraud. 

I feel that I am not only victim of fraud and identity theft, I am victim of broken system of major credit bureau agency that does not utilize strong method of identification in their online system enrollment process. I never received any security code on my cell phone or my email and never notified by mail that I have enrolled online website. Otherwise, the thief who has caused me so much trouble will not be able to go to five banks to open accounts and apply for credit cards and personal loan using my information. 

My life has been changed since fraud and identity theft happened and the broken system of online account opening with all these banks and credit agencies should be fixed and improved in order to prevent further fraud on innocent people 's accounts.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation