Consumer complaint received 2025-02-09 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:
am filing a formal complaint against XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX for the unlawful reporting of fraudulent and invalid collection accounts related to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

These accounts were previously determined to be unverifiable, inaccurate, and unlawfully assigned. Despite this, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX have engaged in deceptive debt collection practices, attempting to reassign these same disputed debts to multiple collection agencies. 

By continuing to report these illegitimate collection accounts, XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX are in direct violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). These actions constitute fraudulent and deceptive practices that will be escalated to the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), and Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) for regulatory action.

1. Unlawful Reporting of XXXX XXXX XXXX Account This account was previously disputed and determined to be unverifiable and inaccurately assigned. 
XXXX XXXX first attempted to collect this debt through XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which was proven to be invalid. 
Now, XXXX XXXX XXXX has taken over collection efforts on the same account, without proof of legal ownership or transfer of the debt.

Under the FDCPA ( 15 U.S.C. 1692e ), a debt collector can not attempt to collect a debt using false, deceptive, or misleading representations. 
If XXXX XXXX could not legally assign or collect this debt through XXXX XXXX XXXX, then it can not legally assign or collect it through XXXX XXXX XXXX either. 

Since this XXXX XXXX debt has been proven invalid, XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX are legally obligated to remove it from my credit reports immediately. 

2. Unlawful Reporting of XXXX XXXX XXXX  Account Account Number : XXXX ( Equifax ), XXXX ( XXXX ) Collection Agency XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Date Assigned : XX/XX/year> Original Balance : {$770.00} Current Balance : {$770.00} Status : Collection Account, Account Seriously Past Due I never had an account with XXXX XXXX, nor did I authorize this debt. This account was fraudulently reported, and its presence on my credit report constitutes an unauthorized and unlawful collection attempt. Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX must immediately remove this fraudulent account. 

XXXX. XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX  Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Investigation ( FCRA Violations ) Despite my prior disputes, XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX have failed to conduct a lawful reinvestigation, violating : FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ) Credit bureaus must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of disputed information.

FCRA Section 623 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ) They must ensure the accuracy of reported information.

FCRA Section 605 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c ( a ) ( 5 ) ) If an account can not be verified, it must be permanently deleted. 

XXXX. Illegal Re-Aging of Debt A Willful Violation of the FCRA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX have engaged in illegal re-aging of debt, violating : FCRA Section 605 ( c ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c ( c ) ) The original delinquency date can not be reset by reassigning or transferring the debt to a new collection agency.

This unlawful practice resets the seven-year reporting period, which is illegal. 
XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX have facilitated this fraud by allowing the reinsertion of these disputed and unverified collection accounts. 

5. Pattern of Willful FCRA Non-Compliance XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX have a history of failing to properly investigate disputes, as shown in previous consumer lawsuits and regulatory actions. 
Knowingly reporting false, unverifiable, or illegally assigned debt is a willful violation of the FCRA under 15 U.S.C. 1681n, subjecting the credit bureaus to statutory and punitive damages. 

XXXX. FTC & CFPB Complaint for Deceptive Practices Since XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX are knowingly reporting invalid and illegally assigned debts, I have filed a formal complaint with the FTC and CFPB, requesting : A full federal investigation into their participation in illegal re-aging and fraudulent reporting schemes.

Regulatory fines and penalties for violations of FCRA and FDCPA consumer protections.

Immediate deletion of both the XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX collection accounts. 

7. Legal Action Against XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX for Non-Compliance If this matter is not resolved within 10 business days, I will : File a lawsuit against XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX under 15 U.S.C. 1681n for willful FCRA violations, seeking : Statutory damages of up to {$1000.00} per violation.

Actual damages for financial harm caused by their negligence. 
Punitive damages for reckless disregard of federal law. 
Pursue legal claims against XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX for FDCPA violations. 

XXXX. Demands for Immediate Action To avoid federal regulatory action and legal consequences, I demand that XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX : XXXX. Immediately delete the XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX collection accounts from my credit reports. 
XXXX. Provide written confirmation that both accounts have been permanently removed. 
XXXX. Confirm in writing that these debts will not be reinserted in the future. 
XXXX. Provide all documentation and communications between XXXX, Equifax, XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding these accounts. 

Final Notice 10-Day Compliance Deadline Failure to comply within 10 business days will result in : Formal regulatory investigations by the FTC and CFPB.

A lawsuit for FCRA violations, seeking statutory, actual, and punitive damages. 
Public exposure of XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX  unlawful credit reporting practices. 

I expect immediate resolution, or this matter will escalate further. 


Subject : Formal Notice of Legal Violations XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Lending Willful FCRA & FDCPA Violations Pending Litigation Notice To Whom It May Concern, This is a final legal notice to Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX, demanding immediate correction of multiple, willful, and egregious violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). 

Each violation outlined below has caused substantial financial harm, and if not remedied within 10 business days, I will initiate legal action against all involved parties under 15 U.S.C. 1681n and 15 U.S.C. 1681o, seeking : Statutory damages of up to {$1000.00} per violation.

Actual damages for financial harm suffered.

Punitive damages due to willful misconduct.

Attorneys fees and court costs. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( FCRA & FDCPA Violations ) The XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX collection accounts are fraudulent, unverified, and illegally assigned debts that violate multiple provisions of the FCRA and FDCPA : FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) Failure to Ensure Maximum Accuracy : These debts were previously disputed and proven unverifiable, yet XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX continue to report them without factual verification. 
The continued reporting of false information is a willful violation of federal law and will result in civil penalties.

FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Reinvestigation : Upon dispute, CRAs must conduct a thorough, independent investigation. 
Simply regurgitating data from unreliable furnishers violates the FCRA and FTC enforcement guidelines.

FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681c ( a ) ( 5 ) Obsolete and Unverifiable Debt Must Be Deleted : Any debt without documented verification must be permanently deleted from a consumer report. 
This applies to the XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX accounts, which have no valid legal ownership records. 
FDCPA 15 U.S.C. 1692e False, Deceptive, or Misleading Representations : XXXX XXXX first assigned this account to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. 
If XXXX XXXX XXXX could not validate the debt, then XXXX XXXX had no legal right to assign it to another collector. 
This practice constitutes debt re-aging and unlawful collection under the FTCs Debt Collection Rule ( Regulation F ). 

XXXX. Failure to Remove XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Deletion ( FCRA Violations ) XXXX deleted the XXXX  XXXX  account, confirming it was inaccurate and unverifiable. 
Equifax and XXXX must follow suit under FCRA Section 623 ( a ) ( 2 ), which requires furnishers to update deletions across all CRAs. 
By failing to do so, Equifax and XXXX are knowingly reporting false information, violating : FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) Maximum Accuracy Standards FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) Duty to Correct and Update Information 3. Equifaxs Illegal FTC Complaint Handling Electronic Disputes Are Legally Valid Equifax is illegally attempting to reject FTC complaints based on a false claim that they must be mailed.

FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) explicitly states that consumer disputes can be submitted electronically.

FTC regulations confirm that electronic dispute submissions are legally enforceable. 
Any attempt by Equifax to reject an electronic dispute constitutes obstruction of consumer rights and a direct violation of the FTCs enforcement policies. 

This deceptive conduct will be reported to the FTC, CFPB, and state attorneys general for immediate regulatory action. 

XXXX. Unlawful Re-Aging of Debt FCRA & FDCPA Violations By allowing XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX to reassign the same unverified debts to different XXXX, XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX have engaged in illegal re-aging, violating : FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681c ( c ) Re-Aging Prohibition FTC v. TRW Inc. Established precedent against re-aging of debt 5. Immediate Demands & Legal Consequences for Non-Compliance To avoid immediate legal action, I demand that : XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX accounts are permanently deleted from all CRAs within XXXX business days. 
XXXX. XXXX XXXX is immediately removed from Equifax and XXXX, aligning with XXXX correction. 
XXXX. Written confirmation of deletions is provided within the compliance deadline. 
XXXX. Equifax ceases its deceptive practice of rejecting electronic FTC disputes and acknowledges their legal validity.

Final Legal Notice Litigation Begins in 10 Business Days Failure to comply with this demand will result in : 1. Filing a federal lawsuit under FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681n for willful violations, seeking : Statutory damages of {$1000.00} per violation Actual and punitive damages Attorneys fees & court costs 2. Filing formal complaints with the FTC, CFPB, and state attorneys general to initiate enforcement actions. 
XXXX. Pursuing media exposure & congressional complaints to reveal systemic consumer protection violations by Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX. 

This is your final opportunity to resolve this matter without legal consequences.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation