Consumer complaint received 2025-12-01 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: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint because I discovered multiple items on my credit report that appear inaccurate, incomplete, or entirely unverifiable. These items have negatively affected my credit standing and are causing ongoing harm. Specifically, I am disputing : ( 1 ) a derogatory XXXX account reporting a balance of {$5100.00}, which I do not own or recognize ; ( 2 ) a series of late payment entries reported by a closed XXXX XXXX XXXX account, which I believe are inaccurate or improperly recorded ; and ( XXXX ) XXXX hard credit inquiries, many of which I did not authorize, recognize, or provide clear consent for. These issues collectively indicate errors or misuse of my information, and due to the seriousness of the situation, I have also filed an FTC Identity Theft Report documenting potential unauthorized activity. 

This statement explains, in detail, what occurred and why I am requesting a full reinvestigation, validation, and removal of any unverifiable information. 

SECTION XXXX DISCOVERY OF THE XXXX DEROGATORY ACCOUNT While reviewing my credit report, I discovered an account listed under XXXX, reporting a derogatory status with a balance of {$5100.00}. This was shocking because I have never opened, applied for, or authorized any line of credit, financing, purchase, or loan through XXXX. Before seeing this entry on my report, I had never heard of this company and had no prior dealings or communication with them. I never received statements, bills, notices, emails, calls, or any correspondence that would indicate this account belonged to me. 

I thoroughly reviewed my personal financial records including emails, bank statements, receipts, and prior financing agreements and found XXXX evidence supporting any relationship with XXXX. The amount, the dates, and the type of account do not match any transaction in my history. 

Because the account is completely unfamiliar, I immediately filed disputes with the credit reporting agencies. However, the furnisher responded with a generic verified status without providing any documentation. No signed contract, no proof of identity used to open the account, no billing history, no original agreement, and no evidence connecting me to this alleged debt has ever been provided. 

As a result, I can not confirm how this account was created, why it was reported, or who is actually responsible for it. Because there is no proof that this account belongs to me and because it severely harms my credit this derogatory report is both unfair and inaccurate. 

SECTION 2 FTC IDENTITY THEFT REPORT FILED Given the severity of the issue and the lack of evidence tying me to the XXXX account, I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report documenting that this account may be the result of : Identity misuse Unauthorized use of my personal information A fraudulent application A mixed credit file Reporting errors by the furnisher or CRA This FTC filing is an official record that I did not open the XXXX account and that it may be tied to identity theft.

Under FCRA 605B, a consumer who files an FTC identity theft report is entitled to have fraudulent information blocked unless the furnisher can provide original documentation proving the account is legitimate. XXXX has not provided any such documentation. 

SECTION XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX LATE PAYMENTS ( ONLY LATE-PAYMENT ACCOUNT ) My credit report also reflects late payments from a closed XXXX XXXX Credit account XXXX 
This account shows : Two 30-day late payments One 60-day late payment A {$300.00} limit A {$0.00} balance A closed status Paid showing on the report But still marked as a negative account Although the account reports late entries, I dispute their accuracy. 

Here is why : The account was paid and closed years ago. 
The presence of late payments long after closure is unusual and raises questions about accuracy. 

No documentation was provided for the late entries. 
I never received any verification showing when the payments were supposedly late or how they were calculated. 

The dates conflict with my own records. 
The entries do not align with my payment history. 

XXXX XXXX has not shown any supporting statements or billing records. 

The dates appear automated and not tied to human review. 

The timeline of the late payments does not match the dates of my payments and transactions. 

Because of these inconsistencies, I believe the late-payment notations are inaccurate and should be reinvestigated. 

SECTION XXXX DISCOVERY OF XXXX HARD CREDIT INQUIRIES My credit report shows XXXX separate hard inquiries, many of which I do not recall authorizing. The majority of these inquiries appear to be related to auto dealerships, auto loan shopping, or lenders associated with auto financing. 

Although some consumers give general consent at dealerships, I was never informed that my information would be sent to so many lenders. Even if I authorized XXXX inquiry, I did not provide explicit permission for dozens of companies to pull my credit. 

Many of the XXXX inquiries are : Duplicated Excessive Clustered on the same days Submitted without my understanding or knowledge Some appear years apart and unrelated to any activity I performed. 

No lender has provided documentation showing : A signed credit application A consent form A permissible purpose Any proof that I knowingly approved that specific inquiry This volume of inquiries suggests : Identity misuse Improper handling of my information Car dealerships shotgunning my application without consent System errors Fraudulent submissions Incorrect linking of another persons inquiries to my file SECTION XXXX COMBINED IMPACT OF ERRORS These errors have caused : A major drop in my credit score Limited access to credit opportunities Higher interest rates Denied applications Damage to my financial reputation Emotional and financial stress Long-term harm that affects daily life A consumer should not be harmed by : An account they never opened Late payments that are inaccurately recorded Inquiries they never authorized SECTION XXXX WHAT I AM REQUESTING To resolve this matter fairly, I request the following : XXXX Account Provide original documentation proving ownership OR remove the account entirely if no contract exists FTC Identity Theft Protection Treat the XXXX account as identity theft material Block it from reporting unless proven with original records XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX entries Provide proof of their accuracy Remove inaccurate late-payment reporting XXXX Hard Inquiries Provide documentation for each inquiry Remove any inquiry without signed authorization Prevent future unauthorized access FINAL SUMMARY I discovered a derogatory XXXX account for {$5100.00} that I do not recognize or own. 
I filed an FTC Identity Theft Report to document this issue. 

I also have late-payment entries from a closed XXXX XXXX XXXX account XXXX appear inaccurate and unsupported. 

In addition, my report contains XXXX hard credit inquiries, many of which I did not authorize. 

These combined issues have caused serious and ongoing damage to my credit and financial stability. I respectfully request that the CFPB assist in ensuring that all items are properly investigated, validated with original documentation, or removed entirely if they can not be proven.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief