Consumer complaint received 2024-12-04 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
I am a victim of identity theft and was in contact with Experian in both XXXX and XX/XX/year> regarding various attempts to use my Social Security information to open accounts. I placed a seven year fraud alert on my Experian account in XX/XX/year>. On XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  I went to login into my Experian account using my information to discover that someone had hacked into my account and changed the email address the phone number and the password of my account. After researching, I discovered that it is in fact quite easy to hack into an experience account once you have someone Social Security number. I do not believe that their current process is safe enough given they are constantly working with people who have had their identity stolen. While researching online, I saw multiple people with this same issue in forums and I was told to attempt to steal my account back, given their current process. 

I called Experian a total of XXXX times on XX/XX/year> before I finally got through to a human to talk through this issue after their automated system hung up on me the previous XXXX. They were not able to change anything over the phone, though they had fully verified me and said that the only method to solve this problem would be to fax or mail documentation to claim my account back. On Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I faxed approximately 10 pages of information to Experian with the information that they would need to get my account back. I received absolutely no communication and nothing was done on my account for the next three weeks. I called yesterday, Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX as I needed to unfreeze my credit due to applying for a mortgage and was unable to do this online due to my account situation. I spoke with someone who is able to update all of my information over the phone in approximately 10 minutes. 

Through reviewing my credit report from the mortgage, I then discovered that a fraudulent account had been opened through Experian, an Experian checking account. I called today XX/XX/XXXX to have the account closed and was told that they again will need additional information from me to do so that would need to be faxed or mailed, though they were already well aware of the fraud that had been happening and already had all of the documentation that they would be requesting again. This checking account with debit card linked remains opened in my name fraudulently. 

My concerns today lie in both the open account remaining in my name as well as Experians current process regarding customers with identity theft and other challenges. It is nearly impossible to speak with a person on the phone even during these very sensitive times and very sensitive topics. When you can, they have almost no process regarding making any change to things that can have a major impact on your credit. I feel the need to check my experience account daily to ensure that it is actually still mine and safe and I have lost complete faith and trust in this company. I feel like I have to be monitoring it because they are not. I have not had any of these kind of issues with the other two credit bureaus that Ive worked with recently. 

Finally, I would like to file a formal complaint that credit bureau should not be able to open bank accounts while someones credit is frozen. My credit was fully frozen during the time when the checking account was opened in my name, and there was no additional verification and in fact an open investigation into an issue while this account was open as a consumer this feels highly inappropriate. 

Thank you for your time.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation