Consumer complaint received 2025-09-18 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: VA

Complaint narrative:
I discovered multiple unauthorized hard inquiries on my consumer credit files. Two of the unauthorized inquiries are : XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX / XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I did not apply for credit with either company, I did not sign any credit application, and I did not give anyone permission to pull my credit for the listed dates. Copies of my credit report with these inquiries highlighted are attached as exhibits. 

I have formally disputed these unauthorized hard inquiries with TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian on multiple occasions. Each time I filed a dispute I requested proof of permissible purpose ( signed application or written authorization ) and asked for the inquiry to be removed if no such proof existed. Instead of receiving a substantive reinvestigation or production of authorization documents, I received generic, boilerplate stall letters that failed to address my specific requests or provide any evidence of authorization. Those stall letters have been documented and are attached as exhibits. 

These facts establish violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A consumer reporting agency may only furnish a consumer report where there is a permissible purpose ; reporting or permitting an inquiry without a permissible purpose violates 15 U.S.C. 1681b. When a consumer disputes the completeness or accuracy of a file, the credit reporting agency must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation and either correct or delete any inaccurate or unverifiable information within the statutory timeframes duties enacted in 15 U.S.C. 1681i. Furnishers also have duties to provide accurate information and to investigate when notified of disputes under 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2. I assert violations of 1681b, 1681i, and 1681s-2 ( as applicable ) for the bureaus and furnishers who have failed to verify, correct, or remove these unauthorized inquiries. 

My experience is part of a broader pattern of consumer harm arising from inadequate reinvestigation and poor accuracy controls at the major consumer reporting agencies. The Norman v. TransUnion litigation specifically alleged that TransUnion failed to properly investigate and remove challenged inquiries and other inaccuracies a matter that resulted in a large class-action resolution addressing the same kinds of reinvestigation failures I am experiencing. That case shows the exact kind of systemic failure that my repeated disputes and the backlog of stall letters reflect. 


Equifaxs well-known XXXX data breach exposed sensitive consumer information on millions of Americans and led to regulatory action and a substantial settlement. The breach and handling of the aftermath are highly relevant because they demonstrate industry-wide risks to consumer data accuracy and to the integrity of bureau systems and identity protections factors that affect how inquiries are created, authorized, and attributed. I note this history to underscore that consumer reporting agencies have known, documented lapses that increase the risk of unauthorized inquiries and other reporting errors. 


In addition, federal enforcement activity and litigation involving Experian demonstrate that consumer reporting agencies continue to face scrutiny over dispute handling and data practices. For example, the CFPB initiated enforcement action against Experian in XX/XX/XXXX ( and that action has generated related litigation activity and rulings ), which is part of the current enforcement landscape that supports consumer concerns about reinvestigation and dispute handling. I cite this to show that my disputes are not isolated ; they fit within a pattern regulators have identified. 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau I have uploaded my Identity Theft Report in support of this dispute. Under FCRA 605B ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ), once a valid identity theft report is provided, the credit bureaus are required to block the disputed information within 4 business days. Failure to do so will constitute additional FCRA violations, including willful noncompliance, and will be added to my record of disputes and complaints.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation