Consumer complaint received 2025-02-09 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: VA

Complaint narrative:
IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX  XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) requires that consumer reporting agencies take steps to ensure consumer reports are accurate and to conduct investigations of information disputed by consumers. The FCRA provides people multiple ways to dispute inaccurate information on their consumer reports, including by contacting consumer reporting agencies directly. The FCRA also requires that consumer reporting agencies follow certain procedures before reinserting into consumer reports information that has previously been removed as the result of a dispute. 

The CFPB alleges that Experian has violated the FCRAs requirements for handling consumer disputes in numerous ways. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that Experian is harming consumers by : Conducting sham investigations that fail to properly address consumer disputes.

Improperly reinserting inaccurate information on consumer reports.

Furthermore, the sale or sharing of my personal information to a third-party collection agency without my explicit consent constitutes several violations of both the Privacy Act of 1974 ( 5 U.S.C. 552a ) ( b ) Conditions of Disclosure.No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be ( 12 ) to a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 3711 ( e ) of title 31.

This also violates the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 6801 ). Under the Privacy Act, federal agencies are prohibited from disclosing personal information without the individuals consent, except under certain circumstances, and under the Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act, financial institutions are required to protect the privacy of consumers nonpublic personal information and limit disclosures to third parties without consent. Given that I did not authorize this disclosure or sale of this account, I am formally requesting immediate action to investigate this violation, cease further sharing of my information and to remove all unauthorized reporting related to this account. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX  XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 


IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX  XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) requires that consumer reporting agencies take steps to ensure consumer reports are accurate and to conduct investigations of information disputed by consumers. The FCRA provides people multiple ways to dispute inaccurate information on their consumer reports, including by contacting consumer reporting agencies directly. The FCRA also requires that consumer reporting agencies follow certain procedures before reinserting into consumer reports information that has previously been removed as the result of a dispute. 

The CFPB alleges that Experian has violated the FCRAs requirements for handling consumer disputes in numerous ways. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that Experian is harming consumers by : Conducting sham investigations that fail to properly address consumer disputes.

Improperly reinserting inaccurate information on consumer reports.

Furthermore, the sale or sharing of my personal information to a third-party collection agency without my explicit consent constitutes several violations of both the Privacy Act of 1974 ( 5 U.S.C. 552a ) ( b ) Conditions of Disclosure.No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be ( 12 ) to a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 3711 ( e ) of title 31.

This also violates the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 6801 ). Under the Privacy Act, federal agencies are prohibited from disclosing personal information without the individuals consent, except under certain circumstances, and under the Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act, financial institutions are required to protect the privacy of consumers nonpublic personal information and limit disclosures to third parties without consent. Given that I did not authorize this disclosure or sale of this account, I am formally requesting immediate action to investigate this violation, cease further sharing of my information and to remove all unauthorized reporting related to this account. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 

IN REGARDS TO THIS XXXX  XXXX, ACCOUNT # XXXX, THE PAYMENT HISTORY IS INCOMPLETE. PLEASE INSURE THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THIS ACCOUNT. This account is a certificate of indebtedness ; it is now considered income and income can not be reported on any credit report. 


The CFPB found Equifax violated the FCRAs requirements for investigating and processing consumer disputes and assuring maximum possible accuracy of information on its consumer reports. The CFPB also found that Equifax violated the law by using ineffective systems and flawed processes, and excessively deferring to furnishers to address disputes. Specifically, the CFPB found Equifax harmed consumers by : Failing to thoroughly investigate consumer disputes : Putting previously deleted errors back on credit reports and failing to block identity- theft related information : Sharing inaccurate credit scores and data about consumers with lenders : Furthermore, the sale or sharing of my personal information to a third-party collection agency without my explicit consent constitutes several violations of both the Privacy Act of 1974 ( XXXX U.S.C. 552a ) ( b ) Conditions of Disclosure.No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be ( 12 ) to a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 3711 ( e ) of title 31.

This also violates the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 6801 ). Under the Privacy Act, federal agencies are prohibited from disclosing personal information without the individuals consent, except under certain circumstances, and under the Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act, financial institutions are required to protect the privacy of consumers nonpublic personal information and limit disclosures to third parties without consent. Given that I did not authorize this disclosure or sale of this account, I am formally requesting immediate action to investigate this violation, cease further sharing of my information and to remove all unauthorized reporting related to this account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief