Consumer complaint received 2024-10-21 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: MD

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Fraudulent Accounts and Identity Theft Dispute - Request for Removal of Unauthorized Accounts Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to formally dispute the inclusion of certain accounts on my credit report, which are the result of identity theft. These accounts were opened without my knowledge or consent, and they do not belong to me. Despite numerous previous disputes, the credit bureaus have failed to provide any proof verifying that I authorized these accounts, yet they continue to report on my credit file. 

The fraudulent accounts are as follows : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) C/O XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, SC XXXX Balance : Updated ( as per your investigation ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX MD XXXX Balance : Updated ( as per your investigation ) These accounts were fraudulently opened and have continued to report updates on my credit file despite my clear statements that they are unauthorized and part of an identity theft case. Additionally, your investigation states that these items were verified as accurate, but no proof or evidence has been provided to me to substantiate this claim. I request immediate action to remove these accounts from my credit report, and I demand a thorough re-investigation with actual proof of authorization, as required by law. 

Legal Violations : Credit Bureau Violations : Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) 15 U.S.C. 1681i : Under the FCRA, credit reporting agencies are required to conduct a reasonable investigation of disputed information. Simply marking the accounts as verified without providing evidence of authorization is a violation of this provision. The FCRA also mandates that inaccurate or unverifiable information must be removed or corrected from a consumers file.

Section 605B of the FCRA ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ) : Identity theft victims are entitled to have fraudulent accounts blocked from their credit reports after providing evidence of the theft. I have previously reported these accounts as fraudulent, and yet they remain, which constitutes a violation of this section.

Federal Violations : Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act : By not removing fraudulent accounts that I have clearly identified and reported as part of identity theft, the credit bureaus and the associated creditors are violating federal identity theft protections. This law is designed to protect consumers from ongoing damage caused by fraudulent accounts.

Maryland State Law Violations : Maryland Consumer Protection Act ( MD Com. Law Code 13-101 ) : This state law prohibits the dissemination of false or misleading information, including information that results from identity theft. The continued reporting of fraudulent accounts violates this act, as these accounts are falsely linked to me and are causing harm to my financial reputation.

Maryland Identity Theft Protection Act : Under Maryland state law, consumers are protected from unauthorized use of their personal information. Your failure to remove fraudulent accounts from my credit report violates the protections afforded under this law.

Request for Immediate Action : I demand the immediate removal of these fraudulent accounts from my credit report as they are unauthorized and continue to report without any valid evidence. I also request written confirmation of their removal and the results of your investigation. I have enclosed copies of my credit report highlighting the disputed accounts for your reference. 

Failure to address this issue will leave me no choice but to pursue legal action under both federal and state laws to protect my rights. I expect a prompt and thorough response. 

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt resolution and confirmation of removal.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation