Consumer complaint received 2025-01-23 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: MI

Complaint narrative:
I am contacting you to formally dispute the presence of fraudulent information on my credit report due to identity theft. My personal information, including my Social Security number, was exposed during the XXXX XXXX XXXX  data breach. The following inaccurate entries must be blocked and deleted promptly in accordance with federal law : XXXX XXXX, Account Number : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX , Inquiry Date : XX/XX/XXXX This account has already been disputed with Equifax " MULTIPLE '' times. However, Equifax has " FAILED '' to properly investigate and delete the account, as required by federal law. Despite my repeated disputes, Equifax has not taken appropriate action to resolve the issue and " REMOVE '' the fraudulent account. 
In contrast, XXXX has conducted a thorough investigation, confirmed that the account was indeed the result of identity theft, and successfully " DELETED '' it from my credit report. 
XXXX provided me with proper documentation confirming that the account was fraudulently opened, which I am attaching for your reference. 

The recent action by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) against Equifax further highlights the agencys pattern of mishandling consumer disputes. On XX/XX/XXXX, the CFPB found that Equifax failed to conduct proper investigations of disputed information, ignored consumer documents and evidence, and allowed previously deleted inaccuracies to be " REINSERTED '' into credit reports. Equifax has now been required to pay a {$15.00} XXXX civil penalty and is ordered to comply with federal laws on handling credit reporting disputes. 
This ruling only reinforces the concerns I have regarding the " MISHANDLING '' of my case. 

As a result, I am requesting the " IMMEDIATE '' blocking and deletion of the fraudulent account listed above. The following supporting documents are included with my dispute : -A copy of my drivers license -A copy of my most recent pay stub -A copy of my bank statement -Documentation from XXXX showing the deletion of the fraudulent account I invoke my rights under the following federal laws and regulations : Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) : 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 : Requires consumer reporting agencies to " BLOCK '' information resulting from identity theft upon receiving an " FTC IDENTITY THEFT REPORT '' and proper identification.

15 U.S.C. 1681i : Mandates the reinvestigation of disputed information and the removal of unverifiable or inaccurate data within 30 days.

15 U.S.C. 1681b : Governs permissible purposes for accessing a consumer report, and the inquiry by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX violates these provisions due to fraudulent authorization. 
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) : 15 U.S.C. 1692e : Prohibits false or misleading representations, which applies to the handling of accounts derived from identity theft. 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) Regulations : Ensure my rights as a consumer to dispute and rectify errors on my credit report promptly. 
Federal Trade Commission Act ( 15 U.S.C. 45 ) : Protects against unfair or deceptive acts, including the improper handling of identity theft claims.

15 U.S.C. 6801 ( Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ) : Mandates safeguarding sensitive consumer data, a principle violated during the Equifax and XXXX XXXX  XXXX breaches. 

Equifax has not fairly done this in the past after multiple attempts and despite other Bureaus handling this with PROPER INVESTIGATION, BLOCKING AND DELETION.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief