Consumer complaint received 2025-01-12 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: MI

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Equifax, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  for unlawful furnishing of my personal, financial, and credit information without my consent, in violation of multiple provisions under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( GLBA ), the Privacy Act of 1974, and other relevant federal and state regulations. 

In addition, XXXX XXXX XXXX has pursued collection activity against me, including delivering a Summons and Complaint for a purported debt. This Summons raises additional concerns under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and related laws regarding verification of debt, misleading or inaccurate credit reporting, and improper use of my personal information in support of a collection lawsuit. 

2. Applicable Laws & Violations A. Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) 15 USC 1681 et seq.

15 USC 1681, Section 602 ( a ) There is a need to insure that consumer reporting agencies exercise their grave responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and a respect for the consumers right to privacy. 
Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX, as consumer reporting agencies, are required by law to respect my right to privacy and ensure accuracy and fairness in their reporting. The presence of negative remarks on my credit reportremarks I did not consent to have furnishedreflects a lack of compliance with these statutory obligations. 

15 USC 1681, Section 604 ( a ) ( 2 ) any consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report only in accordance with the written instructions of the consumer to whom it relates. 
I have never provided Equifax, XXXX, XXXX, or XXXX XXXX XXXX with any written consent to furnish or share my nonpublic personal information. Reporting derogatory items without my explicit, written authorization constitutes a direct violation of this provision. 

15 USC 1681s2 ( A ) ( 1 ) ( A ) A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate. 
By reporting or furnishing inaccurate, outdated, or unauthorized information, XXXX XXXX XXXX is in clear violation of this clause. 

15 USC 1681e Every consumer reporting agency shall maintain reasonable procedures designed to avoid violations of section 1681c of this title and to limit the furnishing of consumer reports to the purposes listed under section 1681b of this title. 
Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX have failed to demonstrate reasonable procedures designed to prevent the furnishing of unauthorized or inaccurate information. This lack of proper safeguards directly harms me as a consumer. 

B. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( GLBA ) 15 USC 6801 et seq.

15 USC 6801 It is the policy of the Congress that each financial institution has an affirmative and continuing obligation to respect the privacy of its customers and to protect the security and confidentiality of those customers nonpublic personal information. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX, Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX each have a duty to protect my nonpublic personal information. Their sharing and use of my personal data without proper authorization contravenes this Act.

15 USC 6802 ( b ) ( c ) A financial institution may not disclose nonpublic personal information to a nonaffiliated third party unless the consumer is given an explanation of how the consumer can exercise that nondisclosure option.

I was never informed of my right to opt out or exercise any nondisclosure option prior to my information being shared. This omission violates my rights under the GLBA.

C. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) 15 USC 1692 et seq.

15 USC 1692g ( a ) : Validation of Debts Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall send the consumer a written notice containing the amount of the debt, name of the creditor, and statements regarding the consumers right to dispute the debt. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Summons and Complaintattached asraises concerns that it may not have properly validated the alleged debt before commencing legal action. If they did not send the required validation notice or gave insufficient time for me to dispute or request validation, this practice may violate the FDCPA.

15 USC 1692e : False or Misleading Representations A debt collector may not use any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX Summons relies on purported personal and account data that may be inaccurate or improperly obtained, especially given the lack of written consent to share my information. Any false or misleading statements in the Summons regarding the amount owed, the chain of title, or other factual matters may violate this section.

15 USC 1692d & 1692f : Harassment or Abuse / Unfair Practices A debt collector must not engage in conduct the natural consequence of which is to harass, oppress, or abuse any person and must not use unfair or unconscionable means to collect or attempt to collect any debt. 
If XXXX XXXX XXXX is unlawfully threatening litigation or misrepresenting legal obligations without the proper basisor if it is pursuing court action on inaccurate or stale debtthis may constitute unfair or oppressive behavior under the FDCPA. 

D. Privacy Act of 1974 ( 5 USC 552a ) The Privacy Act generally restricts the disclosure of personal information and underscores that entities handling sensitive data must obtain proper authorization. By analogy, consumer reporting agencies and debt collectors must respect these privacy principles when they collect, maintain, use, or disseminate personal information. The continued use of my private data, including in a court Summons, without proper notification or consent, runs afoul of this privacy framework. 
3. Specific Violations & Harm Unauthorized Sharing of Information I never provided explicit written instructions or consent for Equifax, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  to report or share my personal credit information, including the negative or derogatory remarks at issue. 

Failure to Notify Me of My Right to Opt Out Neither XXXX XXXX XXXX nor the credit reporting agencies provided me with an opportunity to exercise my nondisclosure option, as required by 15 USC 6802 ( b ) ( c ).

Incorrect, Obsolete, and/or Incomplete Reporting Some adverse items may be outdated or otherwise unauthorized, in violation of 15 USC 1681c ( a ) ( 5 ). 

Potential FDCPA Violations Through Summons XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX Summons and Complaint appears to lack sufficient evidence of proper debt validation under 15 USC 1692g.

If the Summons includes misinformation or incomplete information about the debt, that may violate 15 USC 1692e. 
Lack of Reasonable Procedures Equifax, XXXX XXXX XXXX have failed to maintain reasonable procedures to avoid unauthorized or inaccurate information, contravening 15 USC 1681e.

Violation of the Spirit of the Privacy Act of 1974 The Summons references personal information that I did not authorize XXXX XXXX XXXX to use or share, breaching my privacy rights and undermining the fundamental intent of federal privacy protections. 

Equifax, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX have collectively violated my rights under the FCRA, FDCPA, GLBA, the Privacy Act of 1974, and related consumer protection statutes by furnishing, reporting, and utilizing my personal information without my consent. XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Summons further highlights potential violations of the FDCPAs requirement for accurate, complete debt validation and fair debt collection practices. These actions have caused harm by adversely affecting my creditworthiness, subjecting me to unwarranted collection activity, and compromising my private data. 

I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau thoroughly investigate these violations, enforce all applicable penalties, and secure immediate relief and remedy for the harm caused. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief