Consumer complaint received 2024-02-21
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Was not notified of investigation status or results
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (NE)

I am writing to seek urgent assistance in addressing a critical matter related to fraudulent activities involving my student loan. I was a victim of XXXX XXXX XXXX, a company that has been identified as fraudulent, starting in XXXX. 

I have taken proactive steps to address this issue by contacting the Department of Education, XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General 's office. All relevant authorities are aware of the fraudulent nature of XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Below is an excerpt from my original communication to the bank regarding the fraud : I found that the company who set up the loan payments is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Phone : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Ca XXXX They are not a part of the Department of Education as I was originally told by XXXX XXXX Processing. 

The above address for XXXX XXXX XXXX was listed on my credit report as an address where I had supposedly lived, except that the XXXX XXXX listed was # XXXX on my credit report. I have disputed this information with XXXX as this address should have never been listed as a home address for me. 

I called XXXX XXXX XXXX and asked for them to send me the supposed application I had signed. They emailed it to me today and it is attached. I did not sign this document. It looks like it is an electronic signature. I was not given this document and if I had been, I would have noticed inconsistancies with it including : XXXX. The document states that the estimated loan payment would be for {$55.00}, which I was told this information over the phone when I spoke with them and this is the same amount debited from my accounts each month since XXXX, XXXX. 

XXXX. They told me the first payment of {$100.00} ( which was automatically debited from my account # XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX - Line Item says Payment Automatic Payment XXXX ) would be the first payment towards my loan with the " Department of Education ''. Now seeing this document today, they called it a processing fee and it did not go towards my loan according to XXXX  XXXX XXXX who now has my loan. 

XXXX. On the attached document, I found that they noted there would be a service fee for the same amount of the estimated loan payment of {$55.00}. This fee information was not shared with me when I spoke with them. The single payment of {$55.00} each month was described as my student loan payment only. 

XXXX. I also did not agree to them being a Power of Attorney on my behalf. I noticed this is also included in this document which has an electronic signature. 

XXXX. What also is odd is that they had my current address but changed my address with the new provider, Fed Loan Servicing - to the address of XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, # XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX. They also gave them the following phone number and email address for me : Phone : XXXX Email : XXXX, both of which are not valid. 

This contact information is for XXXX XXXX XXXX. The phone number is not a working number. This is the reason why I have not received any statements from them with any type of notification for my loan. 

XXXX. I was also told by XXXX XXXX XXXX that my student loan would not have any additional interest accrued while on this program. I was told that the {$55.00} would be my monthly payment for the next 10 years and that the remaining balance would be waived under the new student loan program through the Department of Education. According to my credit report, XXXX XXXX, the new provider, has added {$4100.00} in interest since the loan was switched to them in XXXX of XXXX. 

I have called XXXX  XXXX XXXX and they have helped me flag my account due to fraud from XXXX XXXX XXXX. Due to this situation, my loan is now past due 26 days of {$550.00} for XXXX, XXXX. XXXX  XXXX XXXX said that since they did not hear from me regarding my loan, it bumped up from a {$0.00} payment each month to the regular loan payment. Again, all correspondence was going to XXXX XXXX XXXX. Based on what XXXX XXXX XXXX indicated to me today regarding what they are saying the {$55.00} is for each month is to manage my student loan and not as a student loan payment. If they were truely " managing '' my student loan with XXXX  XXXX XXXX, I should have been notified 90 days ago that XXXX  XXXX XXXX needed to re-evaluate my payment plan, which they had not done. This tells me that they had no intention of " managing my loan '' as what they are describing their service is for and that they wanted me to believe that the payments were continuing to go towards payment of my loan. 

Here are all of the automatic withdrawls they have taken : Account # XXXX XXXX  Account XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX PAYMENT XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX same as above XX/XX/XXXX same as above XXXX - I do not have my stmt to get exact date but I was charged {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX same as above XX/XX/XXXX Edu Student Loan Payment XXXX {$130.00} ( I believe this was for XXXX and XXXX with an added fee ) Account # XXXX XXXX, XXXX I do not have my stmt to get exact date but I was charged {$55.00} XXXX, XXXX I do not have my stmt to get exact date but I was charged {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX Edu Student Loan Payment XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX Edu Student Loan Payment XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX Edu Student Loan Payment XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX Payment XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX  Processing Payment XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX Payment Automati Payment XXXX {$55.00} XX/XX/XXXX Payment Automati Payment XXXX {$100.00} TOTAL : {$960.00}