Consumer complaint received 2025-11-29 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Information belongs to someone else
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau because several accounts and negative items on my credit report are inaccurate, unverified, unauthorized, and in many cases do not belong to me at all. These accounts include late payments, charge-offs, delinquent reporting, and collection entries that were furnished to the credit bureaus without proper validation or legal authority. After thoroughly reviewing my credit file and attempting to resolve these discrepancies directly with the credit reporting agencies, I found that the information being reported remains incorrect and damaging. 

To address these issues and protect my identity, I have officially filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, because there are multiple accounts and negative entries that I do not recognize, did not authorize, and did not open. The presence of these unauthorized accounts indicates identity theft, data misuse, file mixing, or reporting errors that violate federal law. Despite disputing these inaccuracies with the credit bureaus, the accounts remain listed without any proper investigation, documentation, or validation. 

Below is a detailed explanation of what happened. 

XXXX. Several Accounts Reporting Late Payments and Derogatory Marks Do NOT Belong to Me I discovered several accounts on my credit report that contain late-payment entries, delinquency histories, or derogatory information, but I do not recognize or own these accounts. Any late payments reported for accounts not belonging to me are automatically invalid. These accounts were added to my credit file without my authorization, without proper verification, and without any evidence showing that I opened or used them. 

Examples of such accounts include, but are not limited to : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( with inaccurate late history ) XXXX late-payment entries Every one of these accounts requires verifiable proof, and not a single furnisher or bureau has provided documentation showing that I opened or authorized these accounts.

Because of this, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report, confirming that unauthorized accounts and harmful inaccuracies exist on my file.

2. I Filed an FTC Identity Theft Report Because These Accounts Were Not Mine As soon as I noticed the unauthorized accounts and unverified negative reporting, I submitted an official FTC Identity Theft Report. This was necessary because : Multiple accounts do not belong to me I never authorized credit for these accounts No bills or notices were ever sent to me No usage or agreement documents exist under my authorization The accounts identities, names, and histories do not match my real financial activity There is clear evidence of identity misuse, data errors, or file mixing Under FCRA 605B, the credit bureaus and furnishers are legally required to : block fraudulent accounts within 4 business days stop furnishing fraudulent information cease collection activity remove all related negative data conduct enhanced fraud-based reinvestigations Despite filing the FTC report , many accounts and their negative histories remain improperly reported on my credit file.

3. I Disputed These Accounts, but the Credit Bureaus Failed to Conduct a Proper Investigation I submitted formal disputes to each credit bureau, explaining that : the accounts are not mine late payments are inaccurate derogatory marks are unverified the furnishers must provide documentation the reporting violates FCRA accuracy rules However, each bureau responded with a generic message such as : The furnisher has verified the information as accurate. 

This is not a real investigation. 
This is not validation. 
This is not lawful compliance with federal reinvestigation requirements. 

The credit bureaus did not provide : contracts applications signed agreements itemized statements billing notices identity verification documents service records fraud-screening logs proof of delinquent payments Instead, the bureaus relied on the e-Oscar automated system, which is known to reduce disputes to short codes and allow furnishers to verify accounts without providing any documents.

This violates FCRA 611, which requires a reasonable reinvestigationnot automated rubber-stamping.

4. Furnishers Failed to Validate or Authenticate the Accounts I also attempted to obtain verification directly from some furnishers.

Not a single one produced legally required documentation such as : original signed applications identity documents used at account opening address confirmation billing statements delinquency notices payment histories proof of account ownership chain of assignment for collection accounts evidence that any late payments actually occurred Without these documents, the accounts can not be reported or collected under FCRA 623 and FDCPA 809 ( b ).

Because of the lack of validation, the late payments and derogatory entries must be deleted.

5. No Billing Statements, Notices, or Communications Were Ever Sent to Me For a late-payment entry to be valid, furnishers must prove : I received billing statements I received reminders I received delinquency notices I was given a chance to correct the payment I was informed of the due date and consequences None of this ever occurred because I did not own these accounts.

This proves : the accounts are fraudulent or erroneous the Payment History is false the furnishers failed to meet legal obligations the reporting violates federal accuracy standards 6. Inaccurate Late-Payment Reporting Is Actively Damaging My Life Because of these false and fraudulent negative entries, I am experiencing : lower credit scores increased interest rates unfavorable loan decisions reduced credit limits declined applications harm to rental and housing opportunities negative effects on employment screenings insurance rate increases general financial instability These are significant harms caused by fraudulent or inaccurately reported accounts that the credit bureaus failed to correct.

7. Filing an FTC Report Requires the Bureaus to Block Fraudulent Entries Under FCRA 605B, once a consumer files an FTC Identity Theft Report, the bureaus must : block the information delete the fraudulent accounts prevent any reinsertion stop reporting late payments tied to fraud notify the furnisher cease all collection and furnishing This law exists to protect consumers from exactly this type of harm.

Yet, the credit bureaus did not block or delete the fraudulent information as required.

8. The Late-Payment Dates and Reporting Patterns Are Inconsistent, Impossible, or Illogical Several of the negative items include : impossible delinquency timelines months showing simultaneous late payments across accounts I do not own duplicated or overlapping derogatory entries histories that contradict my real financial activity These inconsistencies prove that the information is not only inaccurate but also improperly furnished.

9. File Mixing or Identity Confusion May Have Occurred The presence of unauthorized accounts and false late payments suggests that my credit file may have been mixed with : another consumers data recycled or outdated account information misassigned tradelines identity elements belonging to someone else This is a known issue within the credit reporting system and must be corrected immediately.

10. CFPB Intervention Is Necessary I am requesting CFPB involvement because : the credit bureaus failed to honor my FTC Identity Theft Report they failed to block fraudulent accounts they allowed false late payments to remain they failed to conduct a real investigation furnishers did not provide documentation the reporting continues to damage my life my disputes were ignored or minimized Without regulatory intervention, these violations will continue uncorrected.

11. Summary of What Happened To summarize : My credit report contains late payments, derogatory marks, and accounts that do not belong to me.

I filed an official FTC Identity Theft Report because these accounts are fraudulent or unauthorized.

I attempted to dispute the inaccuracies with the credit bureaus.

The bureaus failed to conduct proper reinvestigations.

Furnishers failed to validate the accounts.

No proof of ownership, billing, or late payments was provided.

The negative reporting violates multiple federal laws.

The accounts remain improperly listed.

I am suffering real financial harm. 

I need CFPB assistance to ensure compliance and correction. 

This is what happened and why I am filing this complaint.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief