Consumer complaint received 2025-09-05 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: IL

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regarding multiple inaccuracies and unauthorized items on my credit report, including an incorrect address and several charge-off accounts I never authorized. These items violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Sections 602, 607, 609, 611, 623, 1681i, 1681e ( b ), 1681s-2, 1681n, and 1681o, which guarantee accurate, complete, and verifiable reporting. The false reporting has caused financial harm, emotional distress, and denial of credit opportunities. I request immediate CFPB oversight to ensure reinvestigation, verification, and correction or removal of all inaccurate items. 

Addresses : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, IL XXXX This wrong address remains on my file despite the fact that I have no connection to it. Each day it stays linked to me, I face the risk of inaccurate associations and mixed data. The FCRA places the responsibility on credit bureaus to ensure maximum possible accuracy, and keeping such an error goes against the very foundation of the law. This must be permanently deleted as unverifiable information. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX I have never lived in Florida and therefore this address is completely false on my report. Allowing this address to remain connected to my identity damages my consumer file and is a violation of federal law under 607 ( b ). Reporting states I have no ties to only makes matters worse by creating misleading associations. Since there is no possible verifiable proof of residency, this must be deleted without delay. 

Accounts : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Balance : {$3400.00} This entry is listed as a charge-off, but XXXX XXXX XXXX not the original creditor ; it is a third-party debt buyer. By law, a debt buyer can not simply report balances without proof of ownership, original contracts, and full payment history. Without a chain of custody for this account, including assignment records from the original creditor, this reporting is unverifiable. The FCRA requires maximum possible accuracy, and FDCPA 809 requires validation before collection activity or reporting. If you can not provide documentation showing XXXX XXXX legally owns this debt and has accurate balance records, then this account is unlawful to report. Any unverifiable or incomplete debt reported by a debt buyer is a violation and must be deleted from my file. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Balance : {$1300.00} This account is listed as a collection, but I have never been properly notified or given validation of this alleged debt. Under FDCPA XXXX, a consumer has the right to dispute and demand validation before a collection is reported. I never received proof of this account, no original contract, and no breakdown of charges that make up the alleged balance. Reporting it as a collection without validation is a violation of both the FDCPA and the FCRAs accuracy standards. Collections that can not be verified must be deleted immediately. Since this entry is incomplete, unverifiable, and harmful, I demand its removal from my report under FCRA XXXX. 

Inquiries : XXXX XX/XX/XXXX This credit inquiry has no permissible purpose that I am aware of, and I did not provide authorization. The FCRA makes it clear under XXXX that consumer reports may only be accessed for legitimate business needs initiated by the consumer. I never initiated such a request, meaning this inquiry is both inaccurate and unlawful. It negatively affects my score, creates false impressions of credit-seeking behavior, and therefore must be deleted if you can not provide proper proof. 

XXXX XX/XX/XXXX This inquiry is another unauthorized pull that I never permitted. The fact that it remains on my report suggests poor verification procedures by your agency, which is prohibited under XXXX ( b ) of the FCRA. Every consumer is entitled to accuracy and to privacy, and unauthorized inquiries violate both. Unless you can provide documented evidence that I authorized this inquiry, it is unverifiable under XXXX and must be removed from my file immediately to restore fairness and accuracy. 

I respectfully request the CFPB to ensure that all disputed items, including the incorrect address and all unauthorized accounts, are fully reinvestigated, verified, and corrected or removed in compliance with the FCRA. The ongoing reporting of these inaccuracies has caused substantial financial and emotional harm. I request written confirmation of all corrections and monitoring of responsible agencies and creditors.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation