Consumer complaint received 2025-12-26 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Information belongs to someone else
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint to explain ongoing issues involving XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX, both of which have reported accounts on my credit file that do not belong to me and are the result of identity theft. Although I filed complaints, received responses, and was told the matters were resolved, neither company fully corrected the inaccuracies on my credit report. As a result, the harm continues, and I am seeking CFPB assistance. 

1. Background and Discovery of the Accounts I first discovered accounts reported by XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX when reviewing my consumer credit reports. I did not recognize these accounts, did not recall opening them, and could not match them to any legitimate financial activity in my records. The appearance of these accounts was unexpected and inconsistent with my credit history. 

Because I actively monitor my credit and keep detailed records, I immediately investigated whether these accounts could be legitimate. After reviewing my financial documents, prior obligations, and credit history, I determined that I did not open, authorize, or benefit from any account associated with XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

2. Determination of Identity Theft and FTC Report After concluding that these accounts were not mine, I determined that my personal information had been used without my knowledge or consent, constituting identity theft. I took appropriate steps by filing an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) through IdentityTheft.gov. 

The FTC Identity Theft Report was filed in good faith and under penalty of law. It documents that I am a victim of identity theft and that the accounts reported by XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX are fraudulent. 

3. Complaint Filed With XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) On XX/XX/year>, I filed a formal complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX. In that complaint, I clearly stated that : I do not own the account they were reporting, The account resulted from identity theft, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, and I was requesting full removal of the account from my credit reports. 

I expected that XXXX XXXX XXXX would conduct a reasonable investigation and correct the inaccurate reporting. 

4. XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) On XX/XX/year>, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX responded and stated that the matter had been resolved and that I would not hear anything further from them. While this response suggested that collection activity may have ceased, it did not fully resolve my issue. 

Specifically : The account was not deleted from my credit report, The negative tradeline continued to appear, There was no written confirmation that I was not responsible for the account, and There was no indication that the account was treated as identity-theft-related information. 

As a result, despite their statement, the inaccurate reporting continued to cause harm. 

5. Why XXXX XXXX XXXX  Resolution Was Incomplete Merely stating that a matter is resolved or that I will not hear from the company again does not correct inaccurate credit reporting. The central issue was not ongoing communicationit was the continued presence of a fraudulent account on my credit report. 

Because the account remained reported, XXXX XXXX XXXX response did not restore accuracy, did not honor identity-theft protections, and did not resolve the dispute in a meaningful way. 

6. Complaint Filed With XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) On XX/XX/year>, the same date I filed with XXXX XXXX XXXX, I also filed a complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX. In my complaint, I explained that : I do not own the account reported by XXXX, The account resulted from identity theft, I had filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, and I was requesting deletion of the account from my credit reports. 

7. XXXX Management Companys Response ( XXXX ) On XX/XX/year>, XXXX XXXX XXXX responded to my complaint. Their response did not acknowledge my identity-theft claim in a meaningful way and did not provide documentation showing that I was responsible for the account. 

Following this response, I attempted to rebut XXXX XXXX XXXX position by submitting additional complaints and follow-ups. 

8. XXXX Management Companys Rejection of Rebuttals After receiving XXXX XXXX XXXX response, I filed multiple rebuttal complaints to clarify that : I am a victim of identity theft, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, I do not own the account, and The account should be removed from my credit reports. 

However, my rebuttal cases were not accepted. XXXX XXXX XXXX would not accept my additional complaints and did not provide a process for addressing the identity-theft documentation I submitted. As a result, my attempts to escalate or correct the inaccurate reporting were effectively blocked. 

9. Failure to Accept or Acknowledge Identity Theft A major concern in this matter is that XXXX XXXX XXXX did not accept or meaningfully acknowledge my identity theft report, despite my clear statements and the filing of an FTC Identity Theft Report. 

Identity-theft claims require careful review and special handling. Simply rejecting rebuttals or refusing to accept additional complaints prevents a reasonable investigation and leaves fraudulent information uncorrected. 

10. Continued Reporting and Ongoing Harm Because neither XXXX XXXX XXXX nor XXXX XXXX XXXX fully removed the accounts from my credit report, the inaccurate reporting continues to cause harm, including : Damage to my credit score, Difficulty qualifying for credit, Higher interest rates, Emotional distress and anxiety, Significant time spent attempting to correct fraudulent information. 

This harm persists because the accounts remain reported despite clear notice that they are fraudulent. 

11. Lack of Lawful Validation Neither company provided lawful validation demonstrating that I am responsible for the accounts. Specifically, they failed to provide : A signed contract bearing my verified signature, Proof of identity verification at account opening, Evidence that I received or benefited from the accounts, Clear chain-of-assignment documentation.

Without such proof, there is no basis for continued reporting.

12. Inadequate Reinvestigation Practices Any reinvestigation conducted by either company appears to have relied on internal records or automated processes rather than a meaningful review of identity and authorization. A reasonable reinvestigation should include evaluation of identity-theft indicators and review of original documentation, which did not occur. 

13. Why CFPB Assistance Is Necessary I attempted to resolve these issues directly with both companies through complaints, rebuttals, and identity-theft documentation. Despite these efforts : XXXX XXXX XXXX did not delete the account, XXXX XXXX XXXX rejected rebuttal complaints, Identity theft was not properly addressed, The inaccurate reporting remains. 

Because normal dispute channels have failed, CFPB assistance is necessary to ensure compliance with consumer-protection laws and to stop the ongoing harm. 

14. Summary of What Happened I discovered accounts reported by XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX that I did not recognize. 

I determined the accounts were fraudulent. 

I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report. 

I filed a complaint with XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX responded on XXXX but did not delete the account. 

I filed a complaint with XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX. 

XXXX responded on XXXX. 

I attempted to rebut XXXX response, but my cases were not accepted. 

Neither company fully resolved the issue. 

The accounts remain on my credit report, causing ongoing harm. 

15. Closing Statement I did not open, authorize, or benefit from the accounts reported by XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX XXXX. I acted promptly and responsibly by filing an FTC Identity Theft Report and disputing the accounts. Both companies failed to fully resolve the issue, either by not deleting the accounts or by refusing to accept rebuttals related to identity theft. 

This complaint is submitted so that the inaccurate accounts can be removed, my credit file corrected, and the harm caused by identity theft and improper reporting brought to an end.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation