Consumer complaint received 2025-02-22 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: GA

Complaint narrative:
Based on the updated evidence, Equifax and Experian have continued violating multiple federal laws despite receiving my identity theft report, ID verification, and confirmation as a victim of a data breach. Below are additional legal violations they are committing. 
1 FAILURE TO BLOCK FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS ( FCRA 605B, 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2 ) Law Requirement : Credit bureaus must block fraudulent accounts within 4 business days if the consumer submits : A valid identity theft report Proof of identity A written dispute requesting a fraud block Violation : They failed to block the XXXX and XXXX XXXX accounts despite receiving all required documentation. 
They have continued updating the account instead of deleting it, violating FCRAs identity theft protections. 
2 CONTINUED REPORTING OF A SOLD OR TRANSFERRED DEBT ( FCRA 623, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ) Law Requirement : A lender that sells a debt can no longer report it as an active charge-off. 
The new creditor must report the debt under their name, or it must be removed. 
Violation : Experian XXXX Equifax continue to report XXXX XXXX XXXX as the creditor, even though the account was sold. 
They updated the balance to {$0.00}, which proves XXXX is no longer the owner, yet they refuse to remove it. 
They are misrepresenting the status of this account, which is illegal under FCRA 623.

3 FALSE VERIFICATION CLAIMS WITHOUT PROOF ( FCRA 609, 15 U.S.C. 1681g ) Law Requirement : If a credit bureau claims it verified a disputed account, it must provide : The method of verification The name, title, and contact information of the furnisher All documents used to verify the debt Violation : Experian & Equifax falsely claim the account was verified but refuse to provide any documentation. 
They failed to provide the signed contract, chain of title, or proof of communication with the furnisher. 
4 FAILURE TO PROPERLY REINVESTIGATE ( FCRA 611, 15 U.S.C. 1681i ) Law Requirement : Credit bureaus must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when a consumer disputes information.

They must verify the information using actual documentation before continuing to report the account.

Violation : Experian & Equifax did not conduct a real reinvestigationthey simply repeated the furnishers response without reviewing documents. 
They failed to provide details on what evidence was used to verify the account. 
They ignored your previous disputes and resubmitted the same incorrect information. 
5 MISLEADING & DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES ( CFPB UDAAP Laws, 12 U.S.C. 5531 ) Law Requirement : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) prohibits credit bureaus from engaging in unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices ( UDAAP ). 
This includes misleading consumers, delaying investigations, or reporting false information. 
Violation : Equifax & Experian falsely claim they verified the account but refuse to provide any proof.

They are using stalling tactics, such as claiming they need more information after youve already provided everything. 
They are misleading you by continuing to report an account that they know is disputed and unverifiable. 
Law Requirement : If a debt of $ XXXX is charged off or canceled, the lender must issue a 1099-C tax form.

If no 1099-C was issued, the charge-off should not be reported.

Violation : Equifax & Experian are reporting the charge-off with a {$0.00} balance, but no 1099-C form was issued. 
If XXXX sold the debt, they should no longer report it at all. 
6 Violation of FCRA Section 609 ( a ) ( 1 ) Failure to Provide Verification Documentation Legal Requirement : Under FCRA 609 ( a ) ( 1 ), 15 U.S.C. 1681g, consumers have the right to request : A copy of all records used to verify a disputed account The method of verification ( who they contacted, what information was reviewed ) The name, address, and phone number of the furnisher of the information Violation : The credit bureau claims they used information from the original creditor but refuses to provide it. 
This is a clear violation because the FCRA mandates they disclose the verification details upon request. 
7 Violation of FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 7 ) Failure to Provide Investigation Results in Writing Legal Requirement : After a reinvestigation, credit bureaus must provide : A statement that the reinvestigation is complete A description of what was investigated Copies of the information relied upon to verify the accuracy of the account Violation : The bureau failed to provide copies of any documents they used to verify the debt. 
If they are hiding verification records, it suggests the account wasnt actually verifieda direct violation of FCRA. 
9 Violation of CFPB UDAAP Laws Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts ( 12 U.S.C. 5531 ) Legal Requirement : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) prohibits credit bureaus from engaging in Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ( UDAAP ). 
This includes : Misleading consumers about their dispute rights Falsely claiming verification when no real documentation exists Providing vague or incomplete responses to verification requests Violation : If the credit bureau claims they used information from the original creditor but wont provide it, they are deceiving the consumeran illegal UDAAP violation. 
Violation of FDCPA Section 807 ( 8 ) False or Misleading Representations Legal Requirement : Under FDCPA 807 ( 8 ), 15 U.S.C. 1692e, a credit bureau or debt collector can not falsely represent the character or legal status of a debt. 
Claiming a debt was verified without actual documentation is a false representation and illegal under federal law. 
Violation : If the credit bureau can not provide original creditor documentation, then their claim of verification is false and misleading. 
This is actionable under the FDCPA, meaning you can take legal action. 
FINAL DEMAND REMOVE THESE ACCOUNTS IN 4 BUSINESS DAYS I am giving Equifax & Experian exactly 4 business days from the date of this letter to : 1 Permanently delete the fraudulent XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX accounts from my credit reports. 
2 Provide written confirmation that the accounts have been removed.

3 Provide ALL documents used to verify this account, including : Signed contract proving I authorized the account Payment records or validation from the original creditor Chain of title proving ownership of the account Contact information of the furnisher & proof of communication 4 Cease all further reporting of these accounts.

5 Stop sending misleading dispute notifications to delay removal.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief