Consumer complaint received 2024-12-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Reporting company used your report improperly
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Re : Complaint Against Equifax for Failure to Remove Fraudulent XXXX  XXXX Account Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am filing a formal complaint against Equifax for failing to comply with its legal obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). Despite providing the necessary documentation to verify that a fraudulent XXXX XXXX credit card account appeared on my credit report due to identity theft, Equifax has failed to properly investigate, delete, and block this account. 
Details of the Violations XXXX. Failure to Remove Fraudulent Information Under 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2, I submitted all required documentation to Equifax, including an identity theft report, proof of identity, and a formal dispute. Equifax has failed to remove the fraudulent XXXX XXXX account, despite clear obligations under the FCRA. 

XXXX. Inconsistency in Processing Disputes On XX/XX/year>, I called Equifax to obtain an updated status on my dispute, case number XXXX. During this call : I was provided with confirmation numbers for the deleted XXXX XXXX inquiry : XXXX. 
I was also given confirmation that the XXXX XXXX account was deleted : XXXX. 
On XX/XX/year>, I followed up with Equifax to confirm that all updates were processed correctly, referencing case number XXXX. During this call : The fraud department supervisor informed me that the XXXX XXXX account was not deleted. 
I was also told that on XX/XX/year>, an additional dispute order had been submitted on my behalf. 
When I inquired why I had not received correspondence verifying the fraudulent XXXX XXXX account, the representative stated that they could not explain how the account had been verified or processed. 

This lack of transparency demonstrates that Equifax has not properly investigated the fraudulent account, which violates 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ), requiring credit reporting agencies to conduct a reasonable investigation. To delete the XXXX XXXX inquiry but fail to delete the fraudulent account itself reflects an incomplete and negligent investigation. 

XXXX. Failure to Ensure Consistency Across Credit Reporting Agencies XXXX and XXXX have both investigated and deleted the fraudulent XXXX  XXXX account from my credit report. Equifaxs failure to reflect this update violates 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( C ), which mandates that updated and accurate information must be consistent across all credit reporting agencies. 

XXXX. Failure to Maintain Accuracy The FCRA requires credit reporting agencies to report information with maximum possible accuracy ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ). Equifaxs continued reporting of this fraudulent accountdespite clear evidence of identity theft and confirmations from other credit bureausshows clear disregard for this statutory obligation.

Impact of Equifaxs Actions Equifaxs repeated failures have caused significant harm to my credit profile and financial standing. The delays, lack of transparency, and failure to comply with federal law are unacceptable and have caused unnecessary stress.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation