Consumer complaint received 2024-12-13 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: FL

Complaint narrative:
RE : XXXX XXXX XXXX illegl credit report pull and access - Deletion and extinguishment of debt mandatory XXXX XXXXXXXX claims and alleges that XXXX, possibly with the express premeditated approval and direction of its counsel and debt collector, XXXX  XXXX XXXX , willfully violated the FCRA, FDCPA, FCCPA and other statutes by knowingly and unlawfully obtaining his credit report multiple times after XX/XX/XXXX including the criminal XX/XX/XXXX credit pull of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  from XXXX. ( SEE EXHIBIT B, attached XXXX  ). Since XXXX XXXX commenced at least 5 public record lawsuits in XXXX against XXXX, all of which have been dismissed, with prejudice, for which at least XXXX XXXX cases have been involved XXXX  including the illegal credit pulls described herein, including a federal case for which XXXX was and was found to be in contempt of court on about 10 multiple occasions set forth below. To wit, on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, as attorney for XXXX, sued XXXX in XXXX [ XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX - XXXX XXXX ] ( SEE EXHIBIT C, attached XXXX  ) filing prohibited documents resulting in courts XX/XX/XXXX Order of Dismissal. The filing of such lawsuit clearly constituted a willful violation of the FDCPA and FCRA as intended solely harass, threaten and intimidate XXXX, without the intent to prosecute it, despite XXXX multiple CFPB complaints and disputes to CRAs and XXXX  claiming that {$0.00} was owed. XXXX  relentless FCRA and FDCPA acts and violations subsequent to XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Cease and Desist Notices filed in CFPB complaints and served upon XXXX  and XXXX and filed in 50 page debt validation notices by XXXX on numerous occasions constitute grounds that XXXX and XXXX  had no entitlement to access XXXX credit reports. XXXX and XXXX  have thus received constructive notice of the consequences of past criminal credit pulls but they have continued knowing the criminal consequences would result in further XXXX  proceedings, including this case. XXXX contends that each and every one of the multiple credit pulls violated two separate FCRA provisions : one that prohibits obtaining a credit report for an improper purpose, and one that prohibits obtaining a credit report under false pretenses. XXXX has a plausible claim for each of the separate and distinct violations. More importantly, evidence exists of conduct that credit pulls have been wrongfully deleted from XXXX Equifax credit report dated XX/XX/XXXX believed to conceal the illegal credit pulls to avoid civil and/or criminal liability. The FCRA prohibits a person from using or obtaining a credit report for any purpose unless " the consumer report is obtained for a purpose for which the consumer report is authorized to be furnished under this section. " 15 U.S.C. 1681b ( f ) ( 1 ). The FCRA narrowly circumscribes the purposes for which a person may obtain a credit report.Seeid. 1681b ( a ) ( 3 ) ( listing exhaustively all purposes for which a person may obtain a credit report ). Among other purposes, a person may obtain a credit report to " use the information in connection with a credit transaction involving the consumer on whom the information is to be furnished and involving the extension of credit to, or review or collection of an account of, the consumer. " Id. 1681b ( a ) ( 3 ) ( A ). The statute also requires the " prospective user '' of the report to certify the purpose for which the credit report is sought and to certify the report will be used for no other purpose.15 U.S.C . 1681b ( f ) ( 2 ) ( requiring certification according to the procedure set out in15 U.S.C. 1681e ( a ) ). XXXX also alleges that XXXX  violated the certification requirement by illegally accessing credit reports. XXXX  ( and/or its XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX ) failed to certify as the user of the report the true purpose for which the information is sought. Whats more, to comply with 1681b ( f ), a person seeking a consumer report must both obtain it for a purpose authorized by the FCRAandcertify the purpose according to 1681e ( a ). Failing to do either will give rise to liability. XXXX alleges both. XXXX alleges XXXX  obtained his credit report for use solely in litigation. XXXX disputed any and all claims of XXXX  further alleging that XXXX  owed XXXX huge amounts for statutory and punitive damages for XXXX  willful violations of the FCRA documented in numerous direct and indirect disputes filed in CFPB complaints in the prior 24 months. XXXX also demanded that XXXX  permanently delete each and every XXXX  accounts from CRAs as the continual reporting of incomplete, conflicting, facially false and inaccurate data were grounds to bar further credit reporting on grounds of privacy. XXXX further demanded that all disputes of any kind be resolved through Arbitration pursuant to XXXX  arbitration agreement. XXXX clearly demanded arbitration and filed his election to arbitrate any and all disputes including XXXX claims against XXXX. XXXX demanded that XXXX  file arbitration papers and pay the arbitration fees so that the elected arbitration could move forward. XXXX  lead counsel jumped the XXXX without getting all its ducks in a row without having any idea of the issues and disputes by filing Debt Validation notices despite XXXX cease and desist written demands to XXXX. Not only did XXXX  intentionally violate the cease and desist demands by mailing multiple Debt Validation notices, but XXXX  and/or its counsel XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX illegally and subsequently pulled XXXX credit report for the sole purpose to ascertain how XXXX would XXXX to litigation and the extent to which a judgment could be collected. Pulling XXXX credit reports had no real purpose except for different agents or employees wanting to take a peak for no real purpose other than to harass. XXXX XXXX XXXX had already effectively pulled XXXX credit reports directly or indirectly for XXXX  on at least 6 occasion from XXXX XXXX so pulling it for XXXX  again on XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX were each illegal and improper with no purpose. The true purpose may have been an attempt for attorneys trying to get more business by contacting creditors listed on XXXX credit reports. XXXX XXXX represented other banks 7+ accounts which XXXX has closed arbitration demands and a closed US District Court case for willful FCRA violations for which XXXX  refused to dismiss 3 cases despite a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. So pulling XXXX credit reports for XXXX  is certainly illegal. It violates the FCRA, FDCPA, FCCPA, FS Sections XXXX, Floridas Extortion Statute Section XXXX for {$10000.00} penalties per violation, XXXX  XXXX enacted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX through XXXX, and Section 1036 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) of the CFPA prohibiting unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices to obtain a consumer report for use in litigation or ambulance chasing or for mounting a joint attack with XXXX creditors. Litigation does not appear in the exhaustive list of purposes for which the FCRA authorizes a person to obtain a credit report.See15 U.S.C. 1681b ; see alsoXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( rejecting the argument that the defendant, " an attorney representing clients in litigation,... had a business need to obtain credit reports on the opposing parties '' ) ; XXXX v. XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX rial preparation generally does not fall within the scope of XXXX. " ). Given the timing, XXXX  might plausibly have obtained XXXX credit report for use in litigation or mounting an attack with other creditors of XXXX by counsel for XXXX  or for attorneys illegally seeking more clients. The public record in XXXX XXXX and federal courts demonstrate that XXXX has filed or ordered by a XXXX XXXX XXXX to file 22 separate arbitration cases with the XXXX resulting in XXXX XXXX case closures due to confidential settlements which XXXX and XXXX  seek to uncover illegally for use in litigation. In 4 pending XXXX  cases, XXXX  paralegal, Litigation Legal Assistant, XXXX XXXX, during XX/XX/XXXX fraudulently wrote to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX with extensive reply communications criminally claiming that it was counsel for the Respondent Chase in XXXX  cases and was criminally granted access to XXXX XXXX case files to again assist XXXX  and other potential clients of XXXX in litigation to harass, threaten, intimidate XXXX with privileged private information. XXXX  egregious conduct of illegal abusive and deceitful debt collection practices, approved by its clients, including XXXX, must be punished with statutory and XXXX fold punitive damages. XXXX also adequately alleges a willful violation of the statute as the credit pulls were after the cease and desist notices and within a short time of sending multiple the Debt Validation Notices. Evidence exists that there is a pattern of retaliatory conduct by clients of XXXX XXXX in violating cease and desist notices and pulling credit reports illegally for litigation, harassment and ambulance chasing. XXXX alleges XXXX  and its attorneys, XXXX XXXX obtained the report multiple times for use in litigation even though the statute, which sets out an exhaustive list of permissible purposes, nowhere authorizes the use of credit reports in litigation or ambulance chasing. These actions plausibly " ran a risk of violating the law substantially greater than the risk associated with a reading that was merely careless. " XXXX, XXXX XXXX at XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX. The statute plainly says a consumer reportingagency may " furnish a [ credit report ] under the following circumstancesand no other. " 15 U.S.C. 1681b ( a ) ( emphasis added ). Separately, the FCRA makes it a crime to " knowingly and willfully obtain [ ] information on a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses. " 15 U.S.C. 1681q. This crime, contained in the same subchapter as the rest of the FCRA, is enforceable by the FCRAs private right of action.Id. 1681n ( " Any person who willfully fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this subchapter with respect to any consumer is liable to that consumer .... '' ) ; id. 1681o ( " Any person who is negligent in failing to comply with any requirement imposed under this subchapter with respect to any consumer is liable to that consumer .... '' ) ; seeKennedy v. XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) ( holding a civil cause of action exists under XXXX to enforce XXXX ) ; XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) ( same ). The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX has addressed the meaning of " false pretenses '' in XXXX of the FRCA. Consistent with every other court to address this issue, it now holds, under XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  that intentionally obtaining a credit report under the guise of a permissible purpose while intending to use the report for an impermissible purpose can constitute false pretenses under 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 Negligent misrepresentation of the purpose will not suffice for liability under 1681q ; the offending party must intentionally misrepresent his purpose for obtaining the credit report. Just as XXXX alleged enough to state a violation of 1681b ( f ), he has alleged enough to state a violation of 1681q. XXXX alleges that XXXX, through its debt collector and attorney XXXX, " knowingly and willfully made false representations [ to XXXX, Equifax and/or XXXX XXXX XXXX to obtain information, '' " failed to disclose [ its ] true motivation in obtaining information [ to XXXX, Equifax and/or XXXX XXXX ], XXXX and " knowingly and willfully obtained information ... [ from XXXX, Equifax and/or XXXX XXXX XXXX for use in litigation or ambulance chasing. '' XXXX has valid claims for willful violations with statutory FDCPA damages of {$7000.00}, {$1000.00} for each of the 7 related violations, plus at least XXXX fold but more appropriately XXXX fold punitive damages of between {$9000.00} to {$80000.00} for each of the 7 violations [ {$70000.00} to {$630000.00} ] on this issue alone far exceeding Chases frivolous claims of less than {$900.00} plus barred penalties. Given that a crime was most likely committed under 1681q, punitive damages must be awarded on the highest range possible following the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) jury award with the extinguishment of disputed credit card debt of XXXX  currently claimed to be {$1300.00}.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief