Consumer complaint received 2025-05-12 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: GA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Equifax for clear violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), deceptive practices, and intentional stalling tactics in response to a dispute I mailed to them. 

On XX/XX/2025, I sent Equifax a dispute letter regarding multiple inaccurate items on my credit report. I have proof of mailing, including USPS tracking, and they signed for and received the letter on XX/XX/2025. 

However, on XX/XX/2025, I received a letter from Equifax ( which I also have proof of via USPS Informed Delivery ) stating : We were unable to locate a credit file in our database with the identification information you provided This statement is completely false and deceptive. Between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, I received real-time notifications from my credit monitoring service showing that Equifax was actively updating account descriptors and other data on the exact same accounts I was disputing. Specifically : U.S. Department of the Treasury updated on XX/XX/2025 XXXX XXXX XXXX updated on XX/XX/2025 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX updated on XX/XX/2025 These updates not only lowered my credit score, but also directly contradict their claim that they couldnt locate my credit file. If you can not locate a credit file, you should not be updating data on the same accounts you claim you cant find. 

Furthermore, updating these descriptors during an open dispute instead of properly verifying or removing the items suggests that Equifax is intentionally stalling the dispute process. These updates indicate that they have access to my file and are using backdoor methods to appear compliant while avoiding a legitimate investigation. 

In addition, some of the accounts I disputed are over 7 years old, and should already be removed under FCRA Section 605 ( a ). One example is XXXX XXXX, which Ive already received correspondence from confirming receipt of my dispute yet theyve taken no action, and Equifax continues to update the account. This is a clear violation of FCRA, and any continued reporting of such accounts constitutes illegal backdating. 

By falsely claiming they could not verify my identity, Equifax is : Delaying the dispute process Violating the 30-day dispute resolution timeline Manipulating updates to damage my creditworthiness Intentionally misleading both me and the CFPB This is affecting my ability to secure financial products, increasing my interest rates, and damaging my credit profile.

Please also note that Equifax has a recent track record of being fined for similar behavior, where they improperly handled consumer disputes and failed to follow the required procedures under the FCRA.

I am requesting that : 1. The CFPB investigate Equifax for deliberately stalling my dispute.

2. Equifax delete all unverifiable and outdated accounts in compliance with the FCRA.

3. Equifax provide a full audit trail of updates made to my credit file from XX/XX/2025 to present. 
4. The CFPB penalize Equifax appropriately for deceptive dispute handling and data mismanagement.

I have full documentation including : Proof of mailing and delivery Screenshots from my credit monitoring app showing specific update dates Copies of all correspondence received from Equifax and creditors Proof that some accounts are past the 7-year limit This mishandling is harming my financial well-being and must be addressed immediately.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief