Consumer complaint received 2016-07-28
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Credit monitoring or identity protection
Sub-issue: Problem with fraud alerts

Complaint:
On Thursday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 I receive a Temporary Initial Security Alert Notification ( XXXX ) from XXXX in the mail dated Friday XXXX XXXX, 2016. On Saturday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 XXXX new confirmation numbers appeared on my Equifax Check Status Table indicating a Fraud Alert was placed on my Equifax Credit Report On Thursday, XXXX XXXX, 2016. When I called Equifax on Friday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 to remove this Unauthorized Fraud Alert ( UFA ) ( Conformation Number XXXX ) I was told that the Alert originated with Equifax ( Conformation Numbers XXXX & XXXX ) on Saturday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 one day after the date on the XXXX Notification. The table clearly shows that some event occurring twice on Saturday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 originating the Fraud Alert that affected all my credit reports and took me a week to repair. Equifax said they received a written request from me in the mail. It took some guessing on my part but I finally got them to admit that the information that was used to concoct this fake request was my previous contact information from ten years prior. The only entity real or otherwise that was using my previous contact information at the time was XXXX Bank. I know this because when I confronted them about claiming to contact me ( in a CFPB response letter ) on Wednesday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 they told me that they tried to call my old phone number. Who does that? When I called Equifax back on Tuesday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 requesting they send me a copy of the letter used to make this false request to my current address their story had changed. They told me this time XXXX XXXX long holiday weekend latter, how convenient ) that there was no letter and that they where informed of all of this by XXXX on Thursday, XXXX XXXX, 2016. How could XXXX tell Equifax on Thursday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 about something they did n't know about it until Friday, XXXX XXXX, 2016? On Wednesday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 I was told by the fraud department that they could n't access the source of the Fraud Alert because it had been removed at my request on Friday, XXXX XXXX, 2016. On Friday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 I called Equifax to remove my old telephone number XXXX XXXX. Equifax refused to comply with my request and tried to charge me for Credit Lock or risk monitoring much the same way XXXX did the previous day. On the same day Equifax told me XXXX Bank reported Fraud. Now we 're getting somewhere! On Monday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 I received an Initial Fraud Alert notice from Equifax in the mail stating in brief " Thank you for contacting Equifax. As you requested ... '' and an Initial Alert notice from XXXX in the mail stating, " At your request ... '' I DID NOT contact anybody to request Fraud Alerts be put on my Credit Reports. While checking Equifax Dispute Check Status page I noticed a new record XXXX dated Sunday, XXXX XXXX, 2016. When I called Equifax they said there was another Fraud Alert on my Credit Report ( the forth overall ) and that they received this fraud Alert Request electronically from XXXX Monday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 I called Equifax about XXXX new confirmation numbers on the Equifax Check Status page and I was told they could n't tell me about them and they would have to transfer me to the fraud department. The fraud department told me that they received a Fraud Alert request in the mail again and then they told me it came to them form XXXX again. The table also shows another double entry of an event that occurred on Monday, XXXX XXXX, 2016 this time only affecting my Equifax and XXXX Credit Reports. So far and to date I have removed XXXX Fraud Alert from XXXX XXXX Fraud Alerts from XXXX and XXXX Fraud Alerts from Equifax since the last week in XXXX 2016. I 'm now asking for the second time in this narrative to receive from Equifax in writing any correspondence used in requesting the aforementioned Fraud Alerts.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation