Consumer complaint received 2026-06-07 00:00:00
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.
State: SC

Complaint narrative:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau RE : Unauthorized Hard Inquiries, Failure to Establish Permissible Purpose, and Failure to Honor Fraud Alert Protections Consumer : XXXX XXXX To Whom It May Concern : I am requesting CFPB intervention regarding multiple hard inquiries appearing on my consumer reports with Equifax , Experian, and TransUnion. The inquiries at issue include : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) These inquiries continue to be reported despite the fact that I have not been provided documentary evidence demonstrating a lawful permissible purpose under FCRA 604 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681b ). This matter is especially concerning because my credit files contain fraud-alert language indicating that identity verification is required before credit is extended or consumer reports are accessed. Despite these alerts, the disputed inquiries remain on my reports without any supporting documentation establishing that the required verification procedures were followed. I am not requesting a superficial reinvestigation. I am requesting a documentary investigation. Specifically, I demand that the reporting agencies and inquiry furnishers produce : The specific permissible purpose relied upon for each inquiry. A copy of any application associated with the inquiry. Any written authorization bearing my signature. Electronic authorization records if the inquiry originated online. Verification logs demonstrating compliance with fraud-alert requirements. The identity of the employee, department, or system that authorized the inquiry. Merely stating that an inquiry was " verified '' does not establish compliance with FCRA requirements and does not demonstrate that a lawful purpose existed at the time my consumer report was accessed. The burden is not on me to prove that these inquiries were unauthorized. The burden is on the reporting agencies and requesting entities to demonstrate that a permissible purpose existed and that all applicable fraud-alert procedures were followed. If documentary evidence can not be produced, these inquiries should be deleted immediately because unverifiable information can not be lawfully maintained on a consumer credit file. I respectfully request that CFPB require Equifax , Experian, and TransUnion to conduct a reasonable investigation and remove any inquiry for which documentary proof of authorization or permissible purpose can not be produced. Requested Resolution : Deletion of all unverifiable hard inquiries. Written disclosure of the method of verification used. Copies of all supporting documentation relied upon. Updated credit reports reflecting corrections. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation