Consumer complaint received 2024-10-21
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (MD)

Subject : Request for Removal of Unauthorized Hard Inquiries Due to Identity Theft and Data Breach Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to formally request the removal of several unauthorized hard inquiries from my credit report. These inquiries were made without my consent, knowledge, or permission, and are the result of identity theft. I suspect that my personal information, which was compromised during the recent credit bureau data breach, was used by unauthorized parties to initiate these inquiries. 

The following hard inquiries appear on my credit report and were not initiated by me : Unauthorized Hard Inquiries : XXXX XXXX ACCE Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Category : Auto Financing Phone : ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Category : Automobile Dealers, New Phone : ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Category : Credit Unions and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Date : XX/XX/XXXX Category : Credit Unions and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Removal Date : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXnquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Removal Date : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : XX/XX/XXXX Removal Date : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Removal Date : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX Removal Date : XX/XX/XXXX These inquiries were not authorized by me, and they are negatively affecting my credit score. I did not apply for credit with any of the entities listed above, nor did I give permission for these hard inquiries to be made. Additionally, the fact that my personal information was compromised in the data breach further supports my claim of identity theft. 

Legal Violations : Federal Violations : Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) - 15 U.S.C. 1681b : Under the FCRA, a hard inquiry may only be made with the explicit consent of the consumer. Since these inquiries were made without my knowledge or consent, they are a violation of FCRA protections.

Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act - 18 U.S.C. 1028 : The use of my personal information by unauthorized individuals to initiate these inquiries is a clear violation of this federal law, which criminalizes the misuse of personal data for fraudulent purposes.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( GLBA ) - 15 U.S.C. 6801 : The credit bureau 's failure to protect my personal information during the data breach constitutes a violation of GLBA, which mandates that financial institutions safeguard consumers personal data.

Maryland State Violations : Maryland Consumer Protection Act ( MD Com. Law Code 13-101 ) : This act prohibits deceptive practices, including unauthorized use of personal information. The hard inquiries made on my account without my consent violate Marylands consumer protection laws.

Maryland Identity Theft Protection Act : The unauthorized use of my information to initiate credit inquiries constitutes a violation of the Maryland Identity Theft Protection Act. This law ensures that businesses take measures to prevent identity theft, which has clearly not been adhered to.

Consumer Protection Violations : Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) Identity Theft Protections : The FTCs identity theft rules require companies to take specific steps to prevent identity theft and fraud, including promptly removing unauthorized inquiries once reported. The continued presence of these hard inquiries violates these protections.

Request for Immediate Action : I kindly request that you : Immediately remove the unauthorized hard inquiries listed above from my credit report.

Provide written confirmation that the inquiries have been removed.

Investigate and address the issue of identity theft associated with my credit report and ensure that no further unauthorized activity occurs.

Please treat this request with urgency, as these unauthorized inquiries are negatively impacting my credit score. Should these inquiries not be removed, I will take further legal action to protect my rights under both federal and Maryland state laws.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to receiving written confirmation of the removal of the disputed inquiries.