Consumer complaint received 2025-01-27 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Reporting company used your report improperly
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX Equifax Information Services LLC XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, GA XXXX RE : Immediate Demand for Compliance with Federal Law and Deletion of Inaccurate Information To Whom It May Concern : This is a final and stern notice demanding that you cease and desist the unlawful reporting of an alleged debt on my consumer report. Your actions represent egregious violations of my federally protected rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and related federal statutes. You were previously notified of this matter on XX/XX/XXXX, and your failure to act constitutes willful noncompliance. 

Specific Violations : 1. Unauthorized Reporting of Debt Under 15 U.S.C. 1681b ( 2 ), you are prohibited from accessing or reporting consumer information without permissible purpose. 
Reporting this alleged debt without my written authorization violates my privacy rights. 

Repercussions : 15 U.S.C. 1681n : Civil liability for willful noncompliance includes actual damages, punitive damages, and statutory damages of {$1000.00} per violation. 

2. Failure to Provide Accurate Information Under 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), furnishers of information are prohibited from reporting information they know or have reasonable cause to believe is inaccurate. 
15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) prohibits reporting information after notice and confirmation of errors.

Repercussions : Each inaccurate report is subject to penalties under 15 U.S.C. 1681n and 15 U.S.C. 1681o, which include liability for negligent noncompliance. 

XXXX. Failure to Cease Communication Upon Request 15 U.S.C. 1692c ( c ) of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) mandates that debt collectors must cease communication if a consumer requests it in writing. 
4. Identity Theft Implications Identity Theft and Unlawful Third-Party Information Access Your actions also violate 15 U.S.C. 1681b, which strictly limits access to consumer reports only for permissible purposes authorized by the consumer. By obtaining and utilizing my personal information from a third-party entity, XXXX, despite a block or freeze being in place on that report, as well as the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX has provided me with written confirmation that they did not provide nor does it share this information, you have willfully circumvented federal law. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681c-1 ( h ), it is unlawful to obtain or use a frozen or blocked consumer report without express consumer consent. Furthermore, 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( a ) mandates that users of consumer reports ensure they access such information only for permissible purposes. Your admission that this data was obtained from XXXX despite the freeze further confirms your willful disregard for legal obligations. 
Under 18 U.S.C. 1028A, unauthorized use or transfer of my personal information without lawful authority constitutes aggravated identity theft, a felony punishable by imprisonment. 
The repercussions of these violations are severe : Civil Liability for Willful Noncompliance ( 15 U.S.C. 1681n ) : You are liable for actual damages, punitive damages, and statutory fines of up to {$1000.00} per violation.

Civil Liability for Negligent Noncompliance ( 15 U.S.C. 1681o ) : You are liable for actual damages and attorney fees. 
Penalties Under the Federal Trade Commission 's Enforcement of FCRA : The FTC imposes fines of up to {$4000.00} per violation for noncompliance. 
By obtaining this information unlawfully and then reporting it, you have compounded your liability. Each instance of unauthorized access and subsequent reporting constitutes a separate violation. Your reckless actions have not only caused financial and reputational harm but also demonstrate a blatant disregard for federal privacy laws designed to protect consumers. I demand immediate rectification of these violations and will escalate this matter to federal regulators and civil courts 5. Negligent Enablement of Identity Fraud By failing to verify the accuracy of the information, you have negligently enabled potential identity fraud, further compounding your liability.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief