Consumer complaint received 2025-10-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Investigation took more than 30 days
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
As a documented victim of both the Equifax Data Breach and the National Public Data Breach, I have a heightened legal right to accuracy, security, and care under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), particularly 1681e ( b ), 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ), 1681n, and 1681o. Despite this, my credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion continue to contain false, unverifiable, and contradictory information. These inaccuracies misrepresent my identity, credit history, and overall creditworthiness, while exposing me to continued risk of identity theft and financial harm. 

First, all three credit bureaus are reporting incorrect and unverifiable personal information that does not belong to me. Multiple false addresses appear on my credit files, including XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, AZ XXXX ; XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Apt XXXX, XXXX, AZ XXXX ; and XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX. I have never lived at, received mail at, or authorized the use of any of these addresses. Their inclusion violates FCRA XXXX681e ( b ), which requires consumer reporting agencies to maintain the maximum possible accuracy of information. As an Equifax breach victim whose identifiers were exposed, retaining such unverifiable and false addresses greatly heightens my risk of identity theft and fraudulent account association. These addresses must be permanently deleted under FCRA 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ). Additionally, TransUnion inaccurately lists an employer named XXXX XXXX, though I have never worked there nor provided this information. This false employment listing also constitutes a violation of 1681e ( b ) and must be removed. My only correct and verifiable personal information is as follows : my name is XXXX XXXX, my correct and current address is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, AZ XXXX, my Social Security number ends in XXXX, and my date of birth is XX/XX/XXXX. Any other personal identifiers, dates of birth, or telephone numbers reported by the bureaus are inaccurate and must be corrected or deleted immediately. 

Second, there are multiple tradelines and accounts on my credit reports that are being reported with contradictory, misleading, and unverifiable information. The account from XXXX ( secured credit card ) is coded inconsistently, showing as charged-off/derogatory with an active balance of {$260.00}, while also displaying late paymentsan impossible condition under Metro 2 compliance standards. A tradeline can not simultaneously be a charge-off and still accrue new late notations. Similarly, the XXXXXXXX XXXX ( credit line secured ) account is reported by Equifax as Paid Charge-off but by Experian as Paid Less Than Full Balance. Both versions can not be accurate. XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX collection account is also being reported inaccurately as both a Charge-off and Collection, without any validation, original contract, or chain of title being provided. Finally, XXXX XXXX shows a charge-off status while still posting new late payments after the charge-off date, which is a clear violation of reporting law and Metro 2 standards. Each of these inconsistencies violates FCRA 1681e ( b ), which mandates maximum possible accuracy, and 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ), which requires the deletion of unverifiable data. Unless the furnishers or the bureaus can produce the original signed consumer agreements and complete payment histories verifying these accounts, they must be permanently removed from my reports. XXXX verified as accurate responses do not meet the reinvestigation standard established by federal law. 

Third, my reports contain numerous unauthorized hard inquiries that were made without my consent, authorization, or any legally valid permissible purpose under FCRA 1681b. I never applied for credit with the following companies and never authorized any of them to access my credit file : 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 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ). None of these entities have produced signed applications or written authorizations to prove that I requested credit. Because my personal identifiers were compromised in the Equifax Data Breach, these inquiries likely stem from data misuse and identity exposure. The bureaus and furnishers have a heightened duty to prevent and remove unauthorized inquiries against known breach victims. Failure to delete these inquiries constitutes willful and negligent noncompliance under FCRA 1681n and 1681o. Each unauthorized inquiry must therefore be immediately and permanently deleted under 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ), and any reinvestigation must be supported by documented evidence.

Finally, each of the credit bureaus has repeatedly failed to conduct proper reinvestigations or provide adequate documentation of their findings. Despite submitting detailed written disputes with proof of identity, supporting evidence, and clear citations to the governing FCRA sections, I have received either no meaningful responses or generic verified as accurate form letters. Some items have even been reinserted into my report without the required five-day written notice, violating FCRA 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ). These repeated failures demonstrate a pattern of disregard for consumer protection standards and an unwillingness to comply with federal accuracy and reinvestigation procedures.

In summary, the credit bureaus are in violation of their duties under the Fair Credit Reporting Act by failing to maintain maximum possible accuracy, by reporting unverifiable data, and by neglecting to properly reinvestigate legitimate consumer disputes. As a confirmed Equifax Data Breach victim, these failures compound the harm already caused by the exposure of my personal identifiers. I am requesting that all three bureaus Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion immediately delete all unverifiable, inaccurate, or unauthorized information listed above, provide full documentation of their reinvestigation results, and issue corrected credit reports reflecting only verified, factually accurate information.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation