Consumer complaint received 2022-05-19
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (VA)

Complaint:
A credit card was fraudulently taken out in my name on XX/XX/2022. I was contact by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on credit monitoring services the following week that a credit card account with XXXX  XXXX XXXX has been opened in my name. I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX and told them the account was opened fraudulently and it needs to be closed and removed from my credit report. I filed and Identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission as well as a police report with my local police department. I filed disputes with XXXX, Equifax and XXXX. A few days later I received a mail forward notification in the mail that someone has filled out a mail forwarding slip to have my mail forwarded to another address. I then filed a complaint with USPS and the US Postal Inspector for mail fraud. XXXX determined the account is fraudulent and removed it from my credit report. XXXX is still undetermined. Equifax claims the account was opened honestly and by me and reported it as a lost or stolen card, the card is not lost or stolen, I never opened the account to begin with. I called XXXX  XXXX XXXX who claims that they reported to Equifax that the account was opened fraudulently and to remove it from my credit report. Equifax maintains their claim that the investigation revealed that the account was opened honestly by me based on the information provided by XXXX XXXX XXXX and they would like me to mail them a copy of my driver 's license and social security card. I refuse to mail any sensitive information through the mail due to the mail fraud I have recently been a victim of. I explained this to the individual and they claim there was no other way. I then asked to speak to a manager which is when the Individual I spoke with claims I can now fax the information. I feel as though I am being treated as a criminal and the actual criminal in this situation is being protected at my expense. I do not appreciate the lack of responsibility that XXXX XXXX XXXX has taken for allowing an XXXX to open the account in the first place without providing any identification and then treating me as though I am the criminal and need to jump through hoops to prove my identity. The issue has yet to be resolved and the manner in which they have treated me is unprofessional. I am a victim of identity theft and yet I am being treated like it is my fault. Equifax has failed to take action against identity theft and have failed to remove the account from my credit report. Their investigators clearly did not do a thorough investigation, nor did they reach out regarding needing any additional information which I would have initially provided had they asked or clearly stated that they needed it for the Investigaton. XXXX XXXX XXXX sent me a form to inquire about a copy of the application that was filed with them regarding opening the account which states they also need a copy of my driver 's license and social security card sent to them through the mail. I explained to the lady I spoke with initially that I have mail fraud going on and I am not comfortable sending this information through the mail on the off chance that it gets returned to sender and goes to the unknown individual that filed for the mail forwarding. She told me it was optional, and it was only to receive a copy of the application and bank statement under the FACT Act. The next person I spoke with at XXXX XXXX XXXX claims I need to send all of that information in order to complete the investigation. Every single time I speak to someone at XXXX XXXX  XXXX or Equifax I get a completely different answer.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation