Consumer complaint received 2025-02-13 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: LA

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I am filing this complaint against Experian due to multiple violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and negligent handling of a fraudulent account on my credit report. This account, which was created due to fraud, has been repeatedly reported by various collection agencies, including XXXX XXXX XXXX, a company that is not legally registered to collect debts in Louisiana. 

Background of the Issue : Fraudulent Account Reported Multiple Times The account in question was created due to identity fraud, which I have previously reported to Experian. Despite this, Experian has continued to report the account. 
XXXX has since deleted this same account as of XX/XX/year>, acknowledging its fraudulent nature. However, Experian continues to inaccurately report the account, in violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ( FCRA ), which requires credit reporting agencies to ensure maximum possible accuracy in consumer reports.

Reinsertion of Previously Deleted Information This fraudulent account has been passed between at least five different collection agencies, including XXXX XXXX XXXX, which is an unregistered debt collector in my state of Louisiana. 
When a collection account is transferred or re-reported, Experian must notify me if it is reinserted after deletion.

Experian failed to notify me, violating 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ) ( FCRA ), which mandates written notice within five business days if deleted information is reinserted. 
Account Marked as " Past Due '' in Collections Experian is reporting the balance as " Past Due '', which is legally inaccurate for a collection account. 
Collection accounts must be reported as " Collection '' and not " Past Due '' since they do not have an ongoing payment obligation like open accounts.

This violates 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ( FCRA ), which requires credit bureaus to accurately reflect account statuses. 
Failure to Mark the Account as Disputed I have disputed this account multiple times with Experian, but the credit bureau has failed to mark the account as disputed.

Under 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 3 ) ( FCRA ), data furnishers must report accounts as disputed when a consumer disputes the accuracy of the information. 
Experian has not fulfilled this legal requirement, leaving the account without the proper " disputed '' designation. 
Debt Resold Multiple Times in Violation of FDCPA This same account has been reported by at least five different collection agencies over time, including XXXX XXXX XXXX, a company that : Is not registered to operate in Louisiana as a business or licensed debt collector. 
Has never provided written validation of the debt despite multiple disputes. 
The original creditor 's repeated sale of this account violates 15 U.S.C. 1692d ( FDCPA ) by engaging in behavior that harasses and abuses the consumer through repeated collection attempts. 
Additionally, XXXX XXXX XXXX never sent a debt validation notice within five days of initial contact, violating 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( a ) ( FDCPA ). 
Prior CFPB Complaint Forwarded to FTC I previously filed a CFPB complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX, and it was forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) because they are not registered in the CFPB 's system. 
Despite this referral and the fraudulent nature of the account, Experian continues to report the account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation