Consumer complaint received 2025-06-07 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: MO

Complaint narrative:
Date XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/year> Equifax Information Services LLC XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, GA XXXX Subject : Request for Method of Verification Under FCRA Disputed XXXX XXXX Accounts Confirmation Number : XXXX To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request the method of verification used in your investigation into the two XXXX XXXX accounts currently appearing on my credit report. I originally disputed the accuracy and ownership of these accounts. In a response letter dated XX/XX/year>, referencing Confirmation Number XXXX, you stated that the accounts were verified as accurate and belong to me. 

I dispute this finding wholeheartedly. These accounts do not belong to me. I have informed your company on multiple occasions that my personal information was compromised in the Equifax data breach, and since then, I have been the victim of identity theft, including the unauthorized opening of fictitious accounts using my personal information. I have also taken steps to prevent my mail from being forwarded to unauthorized addresses used by the perpetrators. 

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), I am legally entitled to request and obtain the method of verification used during your reinvestigation. Specifically : 15 U.S. Code 1681i ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) states that if the consumer requests, the credit reporting agency must provide a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information, including the business name and address of any furnisher of information contacted in connection with such information and the telephone number of such furnisher, if reasonably available. 

Additionally, federal regulations require that this method of verification must be provided within 15 business days of my request. This is outlined in : 12 CFR 1022.43 ( c ) ( formerly 16 CFR 611.6 ) : A consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information, including the business name and address of any furnisher... not later than 15 business days after receiving a request from the consumer.

Accordingly, I am formally requesting : The name, address, and contact information of the person or department you contacted at XXXX XXXX during the verification process. 

A copy of the original application or agreement with my signature, used to open these accounts.

The identity verification documents ( such as a government-issued ID or Social Security card ) used to establish these accounts in my name.

Payment records or account activity that were used to verify that these accounts belong to me.

Furthermore, the FCRA requires that credit reporting agencies must delete disputed information from the consumers file if the furnisher or bureau can not verify it within the statutory time frame : 15 U.S. Code 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ) : If an item of information disputed by a consumer is found to be inaccurate or can not be verified, the consumer reporting agency shall promptly delete that item from the file of the consumer.

You are also not permitted to rely solely on information provided through third-party systems such as e-OSCAR, or blindly accept the word of the furnisher without proper documentation : According to FCRA 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), a consumer reporting agency must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate. 
The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) has stated that a reasonable reinvestigation requires more than merely passing the dispute through to the furnisherit must involve substantive inquiry and documentation. 

Therefore, unless you can provide documentary evidencenot electronic confirmations or unverifiable summarieswithin 15 business days of receiving this letter, you are legally obligated to delete the disputed XXXX XXXX accounts from my credit report. 

Failure to comply with this request will result in further legal action, including complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) and the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ). I also reserve the right to pursue civil damages under 15 U.S. Code 1681n and 1681o for willful or negligent noncompliance with the FCRA.

Please consider this letter a formal request for documentation under federal law and govern yourselves accordingly. I have included instructions from the Federal Trade commission on how cases like mine should be handled. We ask you to obey the context of the law please. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation