Consumer complaint received 2025-08-31 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: FL

Complaint narrative:
CFPB Complaint / Escalation Consumer : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX of Birth : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX ( Last XXXX ) : XXXX Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX Government-Issued Photo ID : XXXX FTC Identity Theft Reports : # XXXX, # XXXX Original CFPB Complaint Filing Dates : XXXX, XXXX, XXXX Statement of Dispute I am a confirmed victim of identity theft. The accounts and inquiries listed below are unauthorized, inaccurate, and not related to any transaction I authorized or consented to. I provided proof of identity, valid FTC Identity Theft Reports, identification of disputed accounts and inquiries, and a signed statement confirming the items are not authorized transactions. 

Despite these submissions, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have failed to block or remove disputed items within the four-business-day window required by 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ( a ). The CRAs mischaracterized these 1681c-2 block requests as 1681i reinvestigations, which is legally insufficient and demonstrates bad faith. All three CRAs reported a balance increase on one of the XXXX XXXX accounts while it was supposed to be under dispute or removed. Experian never marked any of the accounts as disputed. Reporting accounts without a permissible purpose under 15 U.S.C. 1681b constitutes aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. 1028A.

ACDV Coding Requirement : This dispute must be coded in XXXX as ACDV Code 007 ( claims true identity fraud, account fraudulently opened ). Do not process as a generic 1681i dispute. ACDV 007 coding triggers the statutory 1681c-2 blocking obligations. If the system can not accept 007, a functionally equivalent identity theft code must be applied, with written confirmation. 
Disputed Accounts/ Balances TransUnion Charge-offs : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Equifax XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Experian XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Experian never marked any accounts as disputed. 

Legal Claims/ Counts Count I Failure to Follow Reasonable Procedures ( 1681e ( b ) ) Elements : Consumer report contained inaccurate information ; CRA failed to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy. 
Application : Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion misreported accounts and failed to prevent repeated misreporting during active disputes. 
Authority : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ; XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Background Servs. Corp., 981 F.3d 1246 Damages : Credit denials, inability to obtain new credit, emotional distress Relief Sought : Removal of all disputed accounts, updated consumer report Count XXXX Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Reinvestigation ( 1681i ) Elements : Consumer report contained inaccurate information ; proper notice of dispute submitted; CRA failed to conduct reasonable reinvestigation.

Application : Disputes submitted with proper identity proof and FTC reports ; CRAs conducted only superficial reviews or misclassified 1681c-2 block requests as 1681i investigations. 
XXXX : XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX at XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX Trans Union, XXXX XXXX XXXX Damages : Multiple credit denials, emotional distress, ongoing financial harm Relief Sought : Removal of disputed items, updated consumer report Count III Failure to Block Identity Theft Information ( 1681c-2 ( a ) ) Elements : Proof of identity and FTC Identity Theft Report provided ; identification of disputed items ; statement that accounts were unauthorized. 
Application : CRAs failed to block items within four business days, mischaracterizing requests as 1681i reinvestigations. 
Authority : XXXX XXXX Experian, XXXX XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX Trans Union XXXX XXXX, No. XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Damages : Credit denials, inability to access credit markets, emotional distress Relief Sought : Immediate removal of all disputed accounts and inquiries, updated consumer report Count IV Failure to Comply with Permissible Purpose ( 1681b ) Elements : CRA reported accounts without authorization or permissible purpose. 
Application : All three CRAs reported accounts without a lawful basis. 
Authority : XXXX v. Equifax XXXX. XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ; XXXX v. Equifax XXXX. XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Damages : Emotional distress, credit denials, financial harm Relief Sought : Removal of all unauthorized accounts, confirmation of permissible purpose compliance Count V Damages ( Compensatory and Punitive ) 15 U.S.C. 1681o, 1681n Application : CRAs caused anxiety, distress, sleeplessness, embarrassment, frustration ; misrepresentation of dispute status obstructed proper statement of dispute. 
Authority : XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX Trans Union XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ; XXXX XXXX. XXXX of XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Impact : Denial of credit, potential financial harm, emotional distress, reputational harm Relief Sought : Compensatory and punitive damages, fair resolution

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief