Consumer complaint received 2024-08-09 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Old information reappears or never goes away
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file a formal complaint against Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX for their ongoing violations of my consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). Over the past 15 years, I have diligently attempted to remove inaccurate, outdated, and unverifiable information from my credit reports. Despite these efforts, the credit bureaus have continued to report invalid information that has caused significant harm to my financial stability and well-being. 

Background and Personal Struggles : Since the discharge of my bankruptcy, I have faced continuous challenges in getting invalid and unverifiable accounts, personal information, and unauthorized inquiries removed from my credit reports. These inaccuracies have severely impacted my ability to secure credit on reasonable terms, resulting in financial hardship and constant harassment by third parties. 

I have invested substantial time and money into credit repair services and have sent numerous certified dispute letters, yet the credit bureaus continue to disregard my rights, allowing the same invalid information to reappear or remain on my reports. Additionally, my personal data has been breached multiple times, with unauthorized third parties gaining access to my information, further exacerbating the situation. 

Violations and Requested Actions : Given the continuous and egregious violations of my rights, I demand the immediate and complete deletion of all the accounts, public records, inquiries, and personal information listed below from my credit reports. These items are not valid, can not be thoroughly validated, and must be removed under federal law. 

1 ). Lack of Validation for Negative Items : Under 15 USC 1692g of the FDCPA, I have the right to request validation of any debt reported by a collection agency. Despite multiple requests, the bureaus have failed to provide sufficient validation. Therefore, these unverifiable debts must be deleted from my credit reports immediately. 

2 ). Unauthorized Reporting by XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX has reported inaccurate late payments on my credit report without obtaining my explicit written permission to share my payment history and personal information with third parties, which is a violation of 15 USC 1681b of the FCRA. Additionally, the late payments reported by XXXX XXXX are inaccurate because I paid the interest to have the loans deferred, which should not negatively impact my credit. This unauthorized and incorrect reporting is illegal, and I demand the immediate deletion of this account in its entirety. 

XXXX ). Reappearance of Debts Under Different Account Numbers : The FCRA requires that all information reported to the credit bureaus be accurate and complete. However, the same debts have reappeared on my credit reports under different account numbers after being removed or discharged. This practice is misleading, illegal under 15 USC 1681e ( b ), and requires the permanent deletion of these duplicated accounts.

4 ). Inaccurate Personal Information : My credit reports contain multiple addresses where I have never resided, incorrect variations of my name, and wrong Social Security Numbers. These inaccuracies violate the FCRAs requirement for accurate and up-to-date information. I request the immediate deletion of all inaccurate personal information from my credit reports. 

5 ). Unauthorized Inquiries : Several unauthorized inquiries were made on my credit reports without my explicit permission, in violation of 15 USC 1681b ( c ) of the FCRA. These inquiries must be deleted from all three credit reports immediately. 

Accounts, Public Records, and Inquiries to Be Deleted Equifax Credit Report Accounts to be Deleted : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Charge-off account ) XXXX ( 30 days past due, inaccurate reporting ) XXXX ( Inaccurate late payments, unauthorized reporting without my consent ) DEPT OF ED/XXXX ( Multiple inaccurate past due reports ) XXXX XXXX ( Inaccurate information, debt older than 7 years ) XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized account, not valid ) Public Information to be Deleted : Inaccurate Addresses : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NY XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MD XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MD XXXX Unauthorized Inquiries to be Deleted : XX/XX/XXXX : EQUIFAX - XXXX ID Report XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to Consumer Report XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to Consumer Report XX/XX/XXXX : EQUIFAX CONSUMER SERVICES Direct to Consumer Report XX/XX/XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Credit Report XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX Account Review Inquiry ( duplicate ) XX/XX/XXXX XXXX EQUIFAX CONSUMER SERVICES Direct to Consumer Report XX/XX/XXXX : EQUIFAX CONSUMER SERVICES Direct to Consumer Report XX/XX/XXXX : EQUIFAX Credit Report XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX. Direct to Consumer Report XX/XX/XXXX : EQUIFAX XXXX. Direct to Consumer Report XXXX XXXX, XXXX : EQUIFAX UPDATE Automated Consumer Interview System ( duplicate ) XXXX XXXX, XXXX : EQUIFAX Automated Consumer Interview System XXXX XXXX, XXXX : EQUIFAX Automated Consumer Interview System ( duplicate ) XX/XX/XXXX : EQUIFAX Credit Report XXXX Credit Report : Accounts to be Deleted DEPT OF EDXXXX ( Duplicate inaccurate past due reports ) XXXX XXXX XXXX Inaccurate late payments, unauthorized reporting without my consent ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Charge-off account ) XXXX & XXXX ( Unauthorized, unvalidated debt ) XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unvalidated debt ) XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unvalidated debt XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized, unvalidated debt ) Public Information to be Deleted : Inaccurate Addresses : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NY XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MD XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MD XXXX Incorrect Social Security Numbers XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Incorrect Phone Number : ( XXXX ) XXXX Unauthorized Inquiries to be Deleted : XX/XX/XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry, duplicate ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Unauthorized inquiry ) Multiple Dates : XXXX XXXX via XXXX XXXX IN ( Unauthorized inquiry, duplicate ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Unauthorized inquiry on behalf of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Multiple Dates : XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Multiple Dates : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX via MY XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Unauthorized inquiry ) Multiple Dates : XXXX via XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XXXX  Credit Report : Accounts to be Deleted XXXX XXXX ( Inaccurate late payments, unauthorized reporting without my consent ) XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unvalidated debt ) XXXX XXXX XXXX Unauthorized account XXXX not valid ) DEPT OF ED/XXXX ( Duplicate inaccurate past due reports ) XXXX XXXX ( Charge-off account ) Public Information to be Deleted : Incorrect Names : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Inaccurate Addresses : XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MD XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX MD XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NY XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NY XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, PA XXXX XXXX Inquiries to be Deleted : XX/XX/XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XXXX Dates XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) Multiple Dates : EQUIFAX XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) Multiple Dates : XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX ( Unauthorized inquiry ) Conclusion XXXX The credit bureaus ' continued failure to validate these accounts and ensure accurate reporting, particularly in the case of XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX unauthorized and inaccurate reporting, has caused substantial damage to my creditworthiness and overall quality of life. 

I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigate these violations and enforce the immediate deletion of the invalid accounts, inaccurate personal information, and unauthorized inquiries from my credit reports. 

Please confirm receipt of this complaint and inform me of the next steps in the investigation. I am prepared to provide any additional documentation required to support my claims. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief