EQUIFAX, INC.

2017-09-13

Rncho Domingz, CA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: I understand my personal information is possibly exposed because of a credit agency having poor security measures. Now I understand I am to pay to have a freeze on my card, I do not believe nor feel it is right that I pay for it because I never once handed over my information to them and they are the ones who had my information compromised.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Discovery Bay, CA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: I am placing a freeze on my credit files at XXXX, XXXX, and Equifax, as it seems like the only sound method now to protect myself from identify theft. There is a fee, with each bureau, to freeze and unfreeze my files. Due to the frequency, pervasiveness, and severity of data breaches ( especially the most recent Equifax breach ), the fee is an unjust burden on consumers.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Oxford, GA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: Equifax got hacked and still charged me XXXX dollars to put a freeze on my account even though it was their fault I needed to do this.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Havana, FL

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: From XXXX - XXXX XXXX Equifax suffered a data breach losing personal data for 143 million Americans. This data is reported to include name, address, phone, SSN, birthdate and some drivers license numbers. Equifax failed to report this breach to the public until early XX/XX/XXXX thereby denying consumers the ability to protect themselves from the most significant data breach ever reported ( bigger than XXXX breach due to nature of information ). Three Equifax high-level employees sold large portions of their stock during the window from when Equifax knew they 'd been breached and when the public was informed, thereby allowing these three employees to get out of the market before Equifax 's stock dropped in value. Equifax ( and the other major credit reporting companies ) collect personal/private information without the consumer 's direct permission. When there are errors on a consumer 's credit report, it is darn near impossible to get them removed and it takes forever to make it happen putting the burden on the consumer when the consumer is typically not responsible for the problem. Then Equifax, who collects my private information without my permission, sells my own data back to me or to financial institutions that I engage in business transactions with, both of which cost me money and usually time/effort to get report cleaned up due to someone else 's error. One a daily basis they control every adult 's ability to buy a house, buy a car, get a loan, etc. When the consumer has been victim to identity theft, as I have, it can take well over a year to clear up the report. Now, Equifax, guardian of my private data, and controller of my housing future, loses my data along with the data of every US adult with a credit report and hides this fact for over 6 weeks. They then offer a solution which is a slap in the face of all consumers ... they offer their own product for one year. This is a HUGE deal and they offer to provide one year of their own product which at the end of the year, you can continue if you start paying them a monthly fee. And you still have to watch for charges on your account with their monitoring system and if you become a victim of fraud, you have to spend the time/effort fixing it with them and the other credit reporting companies. Finally the " year '' solution is n't acceptable because my SSN is still valid 2 years from now and 20 years from now. Equifax is in the business of collecting, storing and selling consumer 's private data. They failed to keep it secure and for this, there should be significant penalties to ensure that they and the other credit reporting companies pay closer attention to consumer data. I urge you to make an example of them with swift and significant penalties, new regulations, etc. Equifax just turned over the keys to every consumer 's personal financial life to criminals which has to be a criminal act. This must be pursued by the government and a solution ca n't be a one year " membership '' in Equifax 's own product. That is ridiculous. It rewards the guilty party with a second chance to watch the same data they just lost!
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

PA

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: Equifax 's lax security caused my information to be stolen and leaked publicly, including my personal PII like SSN, DOB, Name and Address. Now I am a target for fraud and identity theft.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

AL

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: Credit information was lost in national breach. There is no way around not having all your information automatically reported and out there to be stolen from negligent reporting agencies. Freezing your credit report should be free. There should not be a fee to protect yourself, especially with as little care as these companies have protecting your data.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Milwaukee, WI

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: Due to the equifax breach I now have to actively pay in order to keep my credit safe and secure. Upon checking their website I found out that I am vulnerable to having my information stolen.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Oxford, GA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: Bottom line is congress needs to step up and make freeze and thaw free under federal law. Credit monitoring is not adequate for the massive breach that just occurred at Equifax.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Douglas, MI

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: I was part of the Equifax credit information hack. I find it unacceptable that I have to PAY to freeze my credit when I did n't consent to my information being stored by Equifax, XXXX, or XXXX in the first place. XXXX should make credit freezes and unfreezes free federally. Credit reporting agencies already make money off of my information and I should not be required to pay them additional money to protect my information, especially when they are doing a POOR job in the first place. Thank you for taking time to read my complaint.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Austin, TX

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: Equifax leaked my private information and has been me susceptible to identity theft. I now need to proactively monitor my credit. The type of information leaked included my drivers license, dob, and social security number + more. This has affected me as I am currently trying to close on a house and have had to take steps to guard my credit.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Odell, OR

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: I would like to file a complaint regarding the fact that Equifax, a company that uses my personal information without my direct permission and then allowed it to be compromised through their lax security measures, has now charged me a fee to take the step of protecting myself and freezing my own credit with their bureau. The fact that they are profiting off their own data breach is outrageous. I froze my credit on XXXX XXXX, XXXX and paid {$10.00} via credit card. I would like to receive a full reimbursement for the cost of this credit freeze.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Santa Ysabel, CA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: I was part of the Equifax credit information hack. I find it unacceptable that I have to PAY to freeze my credit when I did n't consent to my information being stored by Equifax, XXXX, or XXXX in the first place. Congress should make credit freezes and unfreezes free federally. Credit reporting agencies already make money off of my information and I should not be required to pay them additional money to protect my information, especially when they are doing a POOR job in the first place. Thank you for taking time to read my complaint.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Beverly Hills, CA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: I should not have to pay money to freeze my credit due to Equifax 's egregious error. Because of Equifax 's fault, I 'm now on the hook for the money to freeze my credit with the reporting agencies.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Glendale, CO

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: The data breach from Equifax is unequivocally the worst violation of my personal information that 's ever occurred - and it 's all a result because a company has highly personally identifiable information stored without my express consent to do so, all in the name of profit. This is exemplified by the fact that I 've had to pay Equifax to freeze my credit account - those at fault for this incredible fumble of cybersecurity - in order to protect myself from their total ineptitude. Add to this their flawed website to determine if you 've been compromised ( created for some reason under a different domain, as if to somehow demonstrate that they are in fact scam artists ) and their half-hearted attempt at avoiding lawsuits through their surely worthless " protection plan '', and you 've got a boatload of " too-little done '' and " too-late now '' arguments and evidence to render these companies essentially ticking cybersecurity time-bombs. To add insult to injury, Equifax 's automated freeze phone tree ironically froze and asked me to call back later, only to inform me that my account had already been frozen without ever providing me the PIN. It will surely be a blast dealing with this company personally when the time comes to thaw my account. Furthermore, in a stand of solidarity, XXXX enacted their own exploitative protection plan ( apparently a prerequisite for credit companies ) in order to make a quick buck off of people who are both frustrated and confused in their time of need. The fact that a government agency is not available to protect us from these bumbling idiots is frankly ridiculous, and having to pay them for their own mistakes is downright absurd. It 's insane as somebody who works regularly with protected health information and personally identifiable information that entire companies lacking such basic protections and bizarre practices ( such as Equifax using a timestamp as a randomly generated PIN and providing random results on their flawed compromised website ) can be trusted with such sensitive information with little oversight. This is compounded by the fact that they have regular access to this information, which we as consumers do not ... The vast majority of whom would never consent to such invasions of privacy if it was possible to navigate the modern world without. Save living totally off the grid and storing money under the mattress, where else is one supposed to go? It 's unfortunate so many were forced to put blind faith in a company of scammers, but we were never provided a choice we needed, nor the protection we deserved.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Garrett Park, MD

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: I went on line with XXXX because of the major each and spoke with their representative on XXXX XXXX, 2017 THEY confirmed my information was included in the widespread breach. Because of this I am filing a complaint against Equifax.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Seattle, WA

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: XXXX XXXX it was reported that Equifax leaked XXXX XXXX consumers ' records in their possession. I have not been told if I have been affected, and my data is possibly vulnerable.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Vineland, CO

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Complaint: XXXX credit leak while trying to refinance home loan
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Queens, NY

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: Equifax the XXXX XXXX Credit bureau needs to refund cost of our freeze or cost to lift it and it has failed to explain how to obtain reimbursement.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Independence, MO

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Foothill Ranch, CA

Improper use of your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Reporting company used your report improperly
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Tibbs, MS

Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Problem with personal statement of dispute
Complaint: XXXX XXXX IS REPORTING THAT I PAID 50 % OF THE BILL IN COLLECTION. THEY SOLD ME A HOT SPOT DEVICE WHICH DID NOT WORK. THEY AGREED THAT I PAY {$120.00} IN FULL TO SETTLE THIS DISPUTE AND THEY WOULD NOT FILE ON MY CREDIT REPORT. MY PAYMENT WAS AGREED UPON AND PAID TO XXXX XXXX IN GOOD FAITH.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Corona, CA

Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Problem with personal statement of dispute
Complaint: Upon request for validation and dispute of a debt with XXXX I RECEIVED THE ATTACHED letter stating the account was sold. The dent was not validated yet the trade line continues to appear on my credit report.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Everett, WA

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: Due to Equifaxs credit information breech and notification that I have been effected, I placed a freeze on my credit reports. Equifax charged me XXXX to do this, my husbands was free as well as several friends. They seem to sporadically charge people. They should not make money off the damage they have caused us.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

Chicago, IL

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: I want to freeze my credit with all agencies, after the Equifax leak. I am unable to get the webpages to load for any of the credit reporting agencies, and the phone numbers are also keeping me on hold for far too long. I do not believe I should have to pay or spend hours of my time to protect my identity when the company that was supposed to do that failed at one of their core responsibilities.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2017-09-13

MS

Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Complaint: i was hacked.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response