Consumer complaint received 2025-12-01 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 because multiple derogatory accounts have been appearing on my credit reports, and none of these accounts belong to me. I did not authorize, open, use, or benefit from any of the reported derogatory accounts. I have already filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, and I am reporting to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau because each of these accounts continues to appear despite my disputes, my FTC filing, and the lack of any legally required documentation showing that I am connected to these accounts. 

Across all three credit bureaus, several negative or derogatory accounts appear that I have never seen before, did not authorize, and do not recognize. These include collection accounts, charge-offs, negative installment balances, and other derogatory tradelines that have severely damaged my credit profile. I am requesting CFPB assistance because I have exhausted all reasonable steps to resolve this directly with the companies and with the credit reporting agencies. Despite my disputes and requests for validation, the accounts remain, and none of the companies have been able to produce verifiable documentation showing that I am the responsible party. 

XXXX. Discovery of the Derogatory Accounts I discovered these derogatory accounts while reviewing my credit reports from the major credit bureaus. When I reviewed the reports, I noticed accounts that I did not open, did not authorize, and had never seen before. Some were listed as charge-offs, some as collections, and some were installment accounts showing large balances that I never agreed to. These accounts do not match any financial activity I have ever conducted. 

The derogatory accounts include ( but are not necessarily limited to ) : XXXX XXXX Large charge-off balance that I do not recognize XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX account I never authorized and do not owe Any other collection, charge-off, or negative account currently reporting across the credit bureaus All of these accounts are unfamiliar to me, and I have no records, contracts, communications, statements, or agreements that link me to any of them. I never opened, used, or consented to any such accounts, and therefore I filed an identity theft report. 

XXXX. Filing an FTC Identity Theft Report Because I do not own any of these derogatory accounts, I filed an official FTC Identity Theft Report, stating that the reported accounts do not belong to me and were created, used, or reported without my knowledge or authorization. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), when a consumer submits an identity theft report, furnishers and credit bureaus must take specific legally required actions, including blocking the fraudulent information and stopping all reporting or collection activity unless they can provide authenticated proof of the consumers involvement. 

Despite filing my FTC report, none of the companies involved have properly validated the accounts or complied with the identity theft protections outlined under FCRA 605B. 

XXXX. Disputing the Accounts With the Credit Bureaus After discovering the fraudulent derogatory accounts, I disputed each one separately with the credit bureaus. I submitted disputes explaining : I do not own these accounts I did not authorize these accounts I have no contract or agreement with these companies I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report I am requesting removal or blocking of the fraudulent accounts The credit bureaus responded by stating that the accounts were verified, but they did not provide any explanation of how the verification process took place, nor did they provide any documents from the furnishers. It is clear that a real reinvestigation was not conducted, as required under FCRA 611. 

Instead of providing documentation, the bureaus simply stated that the accounts were confirmed by the furnishers. However, the furnishers never provided actual proof linking me to the accounts. 

XXXX. Requests for Validation From the Companies I also requested validation directly from the companies reporting these accounts. I asked them to provide : A signed contract An application with my signature An agreement showing I authorized the account Itemized statements Proof of ownership of the debt Records showing I received any services Documentation showing I agreed to pay Any evidence showing I am the correct consumer None of the companies were able to provide a signed contract or any documentation proving that I authorized or opened the accounts. Some companies provided internal billing statements, but these do not demonstrate account ownership, authorization, or identity authentication. 

Some companies claimed they validated the accounts via e-OSCAR, which is not legally sufficient, as e-OSCAR simply repeats data back to the bureaus and does not validate identity or ownership. 

To this day, none of the companies have produced signed documentation or contracts connecting me to any of the derogatory accounts. 

XXXX. The Derogatory Accounts Are Not Mine I want to make it clear that : I did not open these accounts I did not authorize these accounts I did not receive any services or goods connected to these accounts I did not agree to pay any money to these companies I have no relationship with these companies I did not sign anything I do not owe these balances These accounts have been fraudulently linked to my credit report. 

Because none of the companies can provide documentation showing my signature or authorization, the accounts should not be reported, collected, or verified. 

XXXX. The Impact on My Credit and Daily Life The presence of these false derogatory accounts has caused significant harm, including : Lowered credit scores Denied applications Higher interest rates Lost financial opportunities Stress, anxiety, and emotional distress Difficulty accessing fair credit options Negative impact on major financial decisions These consequences are the direct result of reporting information that does not belong to me. 

XXXX. Violations of Federal Law Based on the actions I have experienced, the companies and credit bureaus appear to have violated several federal laws, including : FCRA Violations FCRA 605B Failure to block fraudulent accounts after FTC report FCRA 611 Failure to conduct reasonable reinvestigation FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) Failure to provide method of verification FCRA 607 ( b ) Failure to follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum accuracy FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 3 ) Failure to report accounts as disputed FDCPA Violations FDCPA 807 ( 8 ) Communicating false credit information FDCPA 809 ( b ) Continuing collection without validation FDCPA 806, 807 Misrepresenting the validity of the debt None of the companies have complied with these laws.

XXXX Continued Reporting of Unverified Accounts Despite filing disputes and an FTC report, the derogatory accounts remain on my credit reports. This means the furnishers have continued reporting without validating the accounts. It also means the credit bureaus have continued publishing information that has not been verified with reliable documentation. 

These accounts should have been removed or blocked under federal law. 

XXXX. No Signed Documents Provided A key requirement for debt validation is the existence of a signed contract or agreement, but the companies failed to provide any such evidence. 

They did not provide : My signature A signed agreement My printed name A timestamped application A physical or electronic acknowledgment Verified identity checks Chain of custody documentation Without any signature or authorization, the companies can not legally claim the accounts are mine. 

XXXX. Why I Need CFPB Intervention Because : The accounts are not mine I filed an FTC identity theft report The companies have not validated the accounts The credit bureaus failed to properly reinvestigate My credit continues to be harmed The furnishers have failed to comply with multiple federal laws I require CFPB assistance. 

This situation can no longer be resolved through direct disputes. The CFPB must intervene to enforce federal law and protect my rights. 

XXXX. I Am Opening This NEW Case Because My Previous Case Was Closed Without Proper Review In a previous CFPB case, the issue was closed before the identity theft concerns were reviewed. The companies did not provide legally required documentation. The case should not have been closed because I had already filed an FTC Identity Theft Report. 

Because the previous case was closed prematurely and without full evaluation, I am opening a new case with the CFPB. 

I need the CFPB to : Fully review the identity theft Require the companies to produce documentation Ensure proper reinvestigation Enforce FCRA and FDCPA compliance Require deletion of the accounts if unverified This case needs a complete review. 

XXXX. Summary of What Happened To summarize : I discovered multiple derogatory accounts that I do not recognize. 

I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report because I do NOT own these accounts. 

I disputed the accounts with the credit bureaus. 

The bureaus verified the accounts without supplying documents. 

The companies did NOT provide signed agreements or proof I opened these accounts. 

The companies relied on automated e-OSCAR codes rather than real validation. 

None of the derogatory accounts have any documentation linking them to me. 

My previous CFPB case was closed prematurely. 

I am opening this new case because the accounts are still being reported and harming my credit. 

I need the CFPB to intervene to have the fraudulent accounts removed. 

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE DEROGATORY ACCOUNTS. 
I FILED AN FTC IDENTITY THEFT REPORT TO CONFIRM THEY ARE FRAUDULENT. 
NONE OF THE COMPANIES PROVIDED LEGALLY REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION. 
I AM ASKING THE CFPB TO ASSIST BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS CASE WAS CLOSED.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief