Consumer complaint received 2025-10-30 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account information incorrect
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: IN

Complaint narrative:
I recently reviewed my credit report from Equifax and found information that should not be there. After thoroughly examining my file, I discovered unauthorized accounts and hard inquiries reported under my name that I never approved or opened. 

Unauthorized Accounts : XXXX Account No. XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX Account No. XXXX Unauthorized Hard Inquiry : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/year> I have never applied for or authorized these accounts or inquiries. No written, electronic, or verbal consent was ever given to these furnishers to access or report my credit information. 

To document this, I filed a Police Report ( Case No. XXXX ) confirming the unauthorized activity. Under Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ), once a valid identity-theft or police report is provided, Equifax must block and delete the disputed information within four ( 4 ) business days. Despite this, the information remains on my report, continuing to harm me. 

LEGAL VIOLATIONS : After researching my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), it is clear that Equifax and the associated furnishers have violated multiple provisions of federal law and industry standards : FCRA 604 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681b ) Lack of Permissible Purpose No entity may access or report a consumers credit information without a lawful, documented permissible purpose supported by the consumers consent.

There is no valid authorization from meno signed application, no consent form, no verifiable record. The reporting and credit pulls therefore lack any permissible purpose and are unlawful under 604.

FCRA 605B ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ) Blocking of Information Resulting from Identity Theft When a consumer submits an identity-theft report ( such as my Police Report XXXX  ), the credit bureau must block and delete the disputed data within four ( 4 ) business days. Equifaxs failure to remove these accounts after receiving valid documentation violates this mandatory provision.

FCRA 607 ( b ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ) Maximum Possible Accuracy Equifax must maintain reasonable procedures to assure the maximum possible accuracy of the information it reports. Continuing to display unauthorized accounts and inquiries is the opposite of accuracyits a distortion of my actual credit history and reputation.

FCRA 611 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ) Duty to Reinvestigate Upon receipt of a formal dispute, Equifax is required to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation and delete any information that can not be verified with actual, documented evidence. If there is no written proof of authorization, Equifax must delete these items under 611.

FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ) Reinsertion of Deleted Information If Equifax deletes the disputed information and later attempts to reinsert it, the following steps must be taken : The furnisher must provide written certification confirming the accuracy and legitimacy of the data.

Equifax must notify me in writing within five ( 5 ) business days of any reinsertion.

There must be documentary proof that I authorized the account or inquiry. 

A system verification or creditor phone confirmation is insufficient. Any reinsertion that fails to meet these standards is considered willful noncompliance under 15 U.S.C. 1681n.

Metro 2 Compliance XXXX XXXX Equifaxs reporting must conform to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) Metro 2 standards, which require data to be complete, accurate, consistent, and current. 
The items in question fail these standards because : They are inaccurate ( I never authorized them ). 

The hard inquiry lacks a legitimate permissible purpose. 

There is no documentation supporting their inclusion. 

Therefore, both under FCRA and Metro 2 standards, this information is legally invalid and must be permanently deleted.

PERSONAL IMPACT : This isnt just a technical or data issueits causing direct, measurable harm to my financial life and opportunities : I was denied a mortgage, and the loan officer specifically pointed to these accounts as the reason.

I was only able to obtain auto financing at an extremely high interest rate, which means I am overpaying monthly for a vehicle I should have qualified for at a better rate. 

I was denied a credit card, and each new application triggers more credit pulls, worsening my credit standing. 

I have spent hours making calls, researching, and gathering documents to fix what Equifax should have prevented in the first place. 

These inaccuracies have lowered my credit score, delayed my financial goals, caused stress and XXXX, and left me in a cycle of financial disadvantage. Im being punished for data that I never authorized to exist.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief