Consumer complaint received 2024-11-12 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'm submitting this complaint to report a significant issue with how Equifax has handled my identity theft claim in direct violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), specifically under Section 605B. Despite providing all required documentation, my rights as a victim of identity theft have been blatantly disregarded. I submitted a Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) identity theft report detailing the history of the identity theft and the accounts affected by this crime. Additionally, I provided a police report, a copy of my driver 's license for identity verification, and individually disputed each account linked to the fraud. 
In response, I received a vague letter from Equifax refusing to block the fraudulent information. The letter failed to specify which accounts were not blocked, offered no justification for this denial, and merely reiterated the requirements for blocking fraudulent informationrequirements I had already meticulously fulfilled. This action by Equifax contravenes the FCRA, which mandates that information must be blocked from a consumer 's credit report within four days of receiving a proper and complete identity theft report.

The dispute process is inherently skewed towards creditors. As a victim of identity theft, proving that fraudulent information is tied to my identity is an exceptionally difficult and draining task. The ongoing presence of false information on my credit report continues to cause real-time and ongoing damage. The initial block u

nder Section 605B of the FCRA is designed not only to mitigate this damage but also to shift some responsibility from the victim to the creditors, who often fail in their due diligence before opening accounts. Equifax has withheld this critical protection from me without any justifiable cause. 

I am a documented victim of identity theft. In 2019, XXXX XXXX flagged an account as fraudulent and closed it within the first month of its opening. Despite being legally barred from selling a known fraudulent account, XXXX XXXX proceeded to sell it to XXXX, a subsidiary within their shared parent company, XXXX XXXX. From day one, XXXX XXXX had my legitimate identifying information and was fully aware, yet none of this stopped them from associating the account to me. Recognizing the fraudulent activity, they closed the account within the first month but neglected to investigate further, close it as fraud, or alert me to the misuse of my information. In a move driven by greed, they allowed the account to accrue late charges, maximizing the potential collection amount. They obscured the account 's fraudulent origin and falsely validated it. The account was then sold to XXXX, further entangling this fraudulent account in aggressive collection practices. 
Now Equifax denies me the right to block this account and the other three I submitted that are directly tied to my ongoing identity theft case.

Equifax refuses to place a block on this and other similar accounts, despite clear evidence of fraud, a police report I filed and submitted in XXXX XXXX, additional police report numbers provided from XXXXXXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX and a well-documented FTC report XXXX 

As a victim of identity theft, proving that fraudulent information is tied to my identity is an exceptionally difficult and draining task. The ongoing presence of false information on my credit report continues to cause real-time and ongoing damage. The initial block under Section 605B of the FCRA is designed not only to mitigate this damage but also to shift some responsibility from the victim to the creditors, who often fail in their due diligence before opening accounts. Instead, Equifax 's approach to handling my legitimate identity theft claim by defaulting to their normal dispute process, rather than adhering to the identity theft block process prescribed by federal law, is unacceptable. This not only prolongs resolution but also continues to damage my credit and adds personal distress. The dispute process is inherently skewed towards creditors. Equifax wants me and others in their dispute process and will deny me the rights afforded to identity theft victims. This puts Equifax above federal law, providing me only with a generic letter that says nothing.

The lack of transparency and rationale for denying the block on fraudulent accounts suggests a predetermined protocol to deny blocks without just cause, effectively stripping me of my rights under the FCRA and forcing me into a protracted dispute process. Despite having submitted all required documents, Equifax is mandated by law to block these accounts. Yet, they exploit any ambiguity in regulations to deny me my rights.

I seek the intervention of the CFPB to investigate this matter and ensure that Equifax adheres to the legal standards set forth for protecting consumers against identity theft. Equifax 's failure to comply must be addressed to prevent harm to affected individuals like myself.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation