Consumer complaint received 2025-06-04 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
You are mandated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) to ensure the accuracy of the information you report. This responsibility includes conducting reasonable investigations when disputes arise. 

Sampson v. Equifax, LLC : In this case, the court emphasized that a Credit Reporting Agency ( CRA ) does not fulfill its obligation to conduct a reasonable investigation by solely relying on another source of information. The court stated that the " grave responsibility '' imposed by the FCRA requires more than merely parroting information received from other sources. You are prohibited from verifying any information from secondary credit agencies that you own and/or are affiliated with. This case underscores that CRAs must conduct thorough and independent investigations to ensure the accuracy of their reports, rather than solely relying on information from affiliated or secondary sources. 

Fraudulent Accounts & Information to Be Suppressed : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  : This collection account is fraudulent and inaccurate. My personal data was compromised in both the Equifax and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which led to unauthorized accounts being reported. You have no valid documentation or legal proof of this debt. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681b and 15 U.S.C. 1692g, you are required to provide verified evidence of my liabilityand you have failed to do so. This issue is under active investigation. Delete this account immediately. 

XXXX XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : I did not authorize this inquiry. Under 15 U.S. Code 1681b, you must have a permissible purpose to access my credit report. You failed to provide valid, signed authorization, making this an illegal inquiry. Additionally, as a victim of a data breach, my personal information has been compromised, further proving that this inquiry is fraudulent. If you can not produce legally verifiable proof of authorization, delete it immediately or face regulatory action.

I have received my credit report, which suggests that I may owe something to you from the past or present. However, there is no evidence to support this claim, so I request that you dismiss all claims and remove any harmful reports against me. Specifically, I request the removal of any reported items that lack mandatory physical documentation or evidence to verify the truth and accuracy of the claim, as well as any evidence of compliance with certified XXXX XXXX format reporting standards. 

Furthermore, I demand that you demonstrate your lawful authority to conduct business with me or any other contesting consumer. You do not have the right to act negligently, as your actions are putting my financial and creditworthiness stability at risk. Therefore, I demand that if you are unwilling or unable to comply with my request within 20 days of receiving this notice, you must cease all derogatory or harmful actions toward me, including reporting or collecting any unverified, untrue, invalid, or non-compliant claims or debts. 

I want to make it clear that you can not force me to interact with you in any way without legal authority or a written agreement between us. If you continue to harm me, it will be considered harassment or even extortion, which is a criminal offense in my state. Any such behavior will compel me to take appropriate legal action. 

Therefore, I request that you rectify any potentially fraudulent or deceptive practices related to my current consumer credit profile history by removing any delinquent reported items. If you are unable to prove authorization for the inquiry, delete it immediately or face regulatory action. 

Regarding the XXXX inquiry on XX/XX/XXXX, I kindly request your assistance in removing these unauthorized inquiries from my credit report. Alternatively, if there is documentation proving these inquiries were authorized, please forward it to me for review. I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

I have attempted to contact the creditors who placed an inquiry on my credit profile and respectfully requested that they remove it, as well as cease any potential illegal activities. However, I have not received any response from them despite more than 30 business days passing since I sent my letter.

I kindly ask for your assistance in resolving this matter. As per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, please initiate an investigation into this inquiry on my credit report to identify who authorized it. If, after your investigation, you determine my claim is valid, I would appreciate it if you could remove the unauthorized inquiry and provide me with an updated copy of my credit report at the address I have provided. 

I recently obtained a copy of my credit report and, upon review, discovered inquiries made by companies for which I have no recollection of providing authorization. It is my understanding that placing an inquiry on my credit file requires explicit consent from me. Therefore, I kindly request the immediate removal of this unauthorized inquiry. I would also appreciate receiving documented evidence showing that a thorough investigation has been conducted and that the unauthorized inquiries have been removed. 

Your cooperation in addressing this matter would be highly valued. I express my disappointment regarding the lack of documented proof for compliance reporting standards and consumer laws, which is a critical deficiency. I kindly request the immediate deletion of this flawed report. Failure to comply may result in legal action due to non-compliance with the required laws related to compliance and consumer protection.

Accurate information is vital to prevent future complications. However, it appears this matter has not been taken seriously, and legal action may be unavoidable.

To be clear, any claims made by you or the data reporting furnishers must be supported by demonstrable, documented evidence. These claims must be made in accordance with statutory timelines and with unquestionable validity. Additionally, any alleged delinquencies or derogatory information attributed to me by the data reporting furnishers must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to be my responsibility and not that of anyone else.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief