Consumer complaint received 2025-05-30 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: MO

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this formal complaint against the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion for their continued reporting of 8 fraudulent accounts and 94 unauthorized hard inquiries on my credit reports. These items were not initiated or authorized by me and are a direct result of identity theft following the XXXX Equifax data breach, which compromised the personal and financial information of over 147 million Americans including my own.

Despite initiating multiple disputes and submitting documentation to identify these accounts and inquiries as fraudulent, the credit bureaus have failed to fulfill their legal obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act ( FACTA ). The continued reporting of these harmful and inaccurate items has caused significant damage to my credit profile, emotional distress, and the loss of financial and housing opportunities.

Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) 1. Failure to Maintain Maximum Possible Accuracy Under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), consumer reporting agencies must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information they include in consumer reports. The ongoing reporting of inquiries and accounts that I did not authorize or open which I have formally disputed and identified as fraudulent represents a clear violation of this statute. 

2. Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Reinvestigation According to 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ), when a consumer disputes the accuracy of information on their report, the credit reporting agencies must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation within 30 days. In my case, the CRAs either failed to investigate the disputed items at all or relied on automated responses from data furnishers. This practice does not meet the legal requirement for a meaningful investigation, as established in multiple court rulings.

3. Failure to Block Fraudulent Information Due to Identity Theft Under 15 U.S.C. 1681c2 ( a ), if a consumer submits a valid identity theft report and identifies fraudulent items, the credit bureaus are required to block the information within four business days. I provided appropriate documentation including a police report and a detailed list of the fraudulent accounts and inquiries yet none of the items were blocked, and the bureaus continue to publish this inaccurate and damaging data. 

4. Failure to Notify Furnishers of the Dispute As required by 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 2 ), when a dispute is filed, the credit reporting agencies must notify the data furnisher and include all relevant information provided by the consumer. There is no indication this was done appropriately in my case. The responses I received were generic and vague, providing no information about how verification was allegedly performed or what supporting documentation ( if any ) was reviewed.

Damages from the Equifax Data Breach This fraudulent activity stems directly from the Equifax data breach, which exposed my Social Security number, date of birth, and other sensitive data. Despite this breach being publicly acknowledged and legally settled, Equifax continues to report fraudulent items resulting from their own failure to safeguard consumer data, and Experian and TransUnion are complicit in allowing this unverifiable and harmful information to remain on my reports.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief