Consumer complaint received 2025-08-27 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: OH

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding the unlawful reinsertion of a fraudulent Apple Card account # XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) on my Equifax credit file. This account was previously deleted after disputes, but has now been reinserted in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). Equifax sent me written notice ( dated XX/XX/year> ) confirming the reinsertion, which I have attached. This proves that XXXX XXXX Bank re-furnished the account, despite my prior disputes and despite the account being included in my FTC Identity Theft Report. 

This reinsertion violates FCRA 611 ( c ) ( 1 ), which prohibits re-reporting deleted accounts without proper certification and advance notice. Equifax has failed to comply with this law by allowing XXXX XXXX to reinsert this account and only providing notice after the fact. Further, under FCRA 605B, accounts resulting from identity theft must be permanently blocked when an FTC Identity Theft Report and proof of identity are provided. I submitted such documentation, yet this account continues to reappear. 

XXXX XXXX response admits the account is closed, yet it continues to report derogatory marks. They failed to provide a signed contract, only citing electronic acknowledgment, which is insufficient under FCRA 609. They acknowledged red flags yet refused to honor my FTC Identity Theft Report, violating FCRA 605B. They reinstituted disputed delinquencies without proper notice, violating 611 ( c ). Equifax and TransUnion removed similar accounts under identical evidence, proving inconsistency and violation of 623 ( b ). I demand full deletion of this tradeline across all CRAs as required under law. 

Additionally, this reinsertion demonstrates noncompliance with FCRA 623 ( b ), which requires furnishers to report accurate and consistent information to all CRAs. The XXXX XXXX account has been deleted from other bureaus but continues to reappear on Equifax, creating inconsistent and misleading reporting. This harms my creditworthiness, artificially lowers my scores, and restricts access to personal and business credit. 

Im attaching multiple attachments as evidence of this case, one is a letter from XXXX XXXX bank that acknowledges red flags with the account in question, also doesnt provide the signed written contract for this account, they only rely on electronic consent, which under FCRA 609 is NOT sufficient, therefore this account should be PERMANENTLY deleted, it has already been deleted prior to this. Also other credit reporting agencies have deleted accounts based on this same FTC theft report I submitted. This inconsistency between the credit agencies is another strong violation of FCRA. 

Given the CFPBs recent enforcement actions against Equifax and Experian for sham reinvestigations and improper handling of disputes, this case fits the same unlawful pattern. The CRA and XXXX XXXX have ignored their obligations to investigate disputes reasonably, block identity theft accounts, and prevent illegal reinsertion.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation