Consumer complaint received 2021-03-29
Company: Experian Information Solutions 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:
I have been victim of identity theft. I first discovered someone ( that I do not know ) opened an account in XXXX XXXX XXXX using my name by receiving the letter dated XX/XX/21. I reported to the bank fraud department same date, I also discovered fraud happened in my XXXX accounts when I went to the branch on XXXX.I reported to their fraud department and reported to the police department the same date. I also reported to FTC later as well. 

I called and placed freeze on my credit file and account with Experian credit agency on XX/XX/21 and prior to that freeze I called XXXX on XX/XX/21 that suppose to notify Experian and Transunion agency to place one year alerts on my accounts. Also later on, seven years alerts were placed on XX/XX/21 to all of my files and accounts in all of these three major credit agencies. 

Yesterday on XX/XX/21, I also tried to sign for online account with Experian credit bureau website to be able to monitor my account more closely that the website and online system did not allow me to sign up for new online account. It gave me a notice that you already have an account and should answer to the security question. 

Since I never opened the new account with Experian, I tried to get help on line or by live representative by calling Experian that I was not successful. Experian did not offer any live customer service to notify the Experian of the problem. 

Unfortunately, it seen that the online system of all these three major agencies had been used by someone who stole my identity to open online account without my knowledge and authorization. All my sensitive information have been exposed and that person has had access to all my credit reports and sensitive information since the online account had been opened. 

The Experian credit bureaus website did not allow me to report the fraud online activity to be able to lock or disable the online account immediately. 

I should mail them my concern and request that is time consuming and will not be done immediately. 

Experian has not created prevention or solution for this unauthorized online account opening at all that is very crucial for someone like me that have been victim of their negligence. 

I was not able to request to lock and disable the online account access immediately to prevent further access by the scammer and thief who opened the account using my name and information without my knowledge and authorization. 

Why Experian credit bureau that I has been informed about the fraud on my account last month, did not inform me of this online opening account? 

Why Experian has not stopped the online access to prevent further damage by that thief who stole my identity and opened the online account to gather more information about me and my sensitive information? 

Experian did not offer live customer service to be able to resolve this matter immediately. 

I will send my request letter via mail to disable the online account that opened without my authorization, knowledge, and permission. 

Since last month that fraud and identity theft has happened, this scammer/hacker/ criminal/thief has been constantly trying to ruin my life and take advantage of my information and my excellent credits by going to five different bank accounts so far and has been applying for credit cards and personal loan using my name and my other information. 

I was never informed and did not receive any notice in the mail regarding this online account with Experian that is a major bureau that supposed to protect my file more carefully and have stronger security to avoid strangers and thief get access to all my information in the credit report. 

Experian was informed of the fraud last month and did not do any investigation to make sure the source of the leak of my information and breach was not coming from their company. Even after I contacted them to place alerts and freeze on my credit file, the agency did not bother to even to try to investigate the source identity theft and fraud that I reported on XX/XX/21 and asked them to place security freeze. 

I never received any security code to my cell phone or email address for verification and authentication purposes. 

Thanks to the Experian credit burau 's unsecure account opening, the strange scammer person/thief has easily opened online accounts using my name and limited information and now by accessing to my credit reports online knows everything about all the details about my credit history and my life. 

I had not requested any address changes and I had not changed my cell phone or home phones last month that fraud happened. I have had two email addresses that have used for long time and not created any new email addresses. 

Experian as major credit bureau agency should be hold accountable and liable for failing to protect my credit account and file. Experian is responsible for not creating stronger and more secure online process and system to protect my credit files and reports. T This weakness in Experian system that has allowed thief get access to my sensitive files on line is violation of my rights and privacy. 

The agency should change and improve their online security and sign up process for the online account opening immediately to prevent further fraud for other people in future. More advance and secure methods should be used for identification and authentication methods to prevent fraud. 

I am not only victim of identity theft, I am victim of broken system of Experian major credit burau agency as well. 

My life has been different since I discovered the fraud and identity theft since last month. I have been under tremendous stress and spend a lot of time to fix all the damages that that criminal and thief has caused me. All the hard works to build excellent credits have been disappeared and all my bank accounts and credit cards are in freeze at this time. I am not able to function as normal as before. All my past, present, and future has been affected forever.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief