Equifax blatant LIES to the CFPB

I KNEW they would lie and that’s why I did not attach the saved Equifax security questions when I initially submitted my complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after Equifax refused to provide my free annual report and refused to allow me to dispute online.  Give a credit bureau rope and they will hang themselves!

Here is the Equifax response to my CFPB complaint:

Company responded
Equifax said:
Explanation of closure

As required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equifax must obtain proper identification from a consumer before disclosing any information regarding his/her credit file. This is a security measure to protect the confidentiality of the consumer’s credit file information. The security questions presented to the consumer via the online system are in place to ensure the correct person is requesting the credit file. Each question is designed for the consumer to provide a response either verifying information or answering the appropriate response not applicable if the information does not pertain. If the questions are not answered appropriately the consumer will fail the authentication process and will not receive the credit file online. If you want a copy mailed to your home address please call 888-215-3859.

Response

*Equifax has reviewed the complaint and its records. *Equifax did not receive any additional communications from the consumer during the review of the complaint. *No follow up actions are required in further response to the complaint.

I don’t know why it says “explanation of closure” and here is my response:

1) Equifax LIED to the CFPB.  I answered the security questions CORRECTLY.
Attached are the two pages with the security questions as submitted to Equifax.

Please do whatever it takes to make Equifax comply with the law.  Equifax MUST provide the free annual credit reports and accept disputes.  Equifax routinely refuses the free annual reports because it is much more profitable to make consumers PAY.

2) Equifax completely IGNORED the fact that I don’t want my credit reports snail mailed because I don’t want to be subjected to identity theft.

3) I hope that the CFPB will not tolerate Equifax’s blatant lies.

4)  Don’t you think that I deserve COMPENSATION for having to waste my time on this?

Equifax FAILED to make ANY attempt to provide me with my credit report. I also feel that Equifax should have to pay a penalty to the CFPB for failing to comply with the law and then LYING about it. Until Equifax has to PAY for its blatant misrepresentations and violations of consumer protection laws it will continue to PROFIT from making consumers PAY for credit reports it is legally required to provide free of charge. The thugs who run Equifax know that most consumers will rather pay for the reports than suffer through dealing with the Equifax automated phone system and having to wait weeks for the report while subjecting themselves to identity theft.

Sincerely,

Christine Baker

[Attached are the two pdfs with the CORRECTLY answered security questions.]

I don’t know whether there will ever be a review of this complaint by a real person at the CFPB.  I will update.

Did you know that most identity theft  is committed by friends and family?

I’m talking about people using your info to apply for loans, rent cars and get utilities in your name — NOT the unauthorized use of a credit card due to hackers getting your card info from a merchant (VERY easy to fix by disputing the charges with the issuing bank.)

Family, friends and roommates have easy access to all your info. I worked with mortgage and credit clients for 25 years and most ID theft was committed by people they knew.   However, due to this personal relationship with the perps fewer than 10% were reported to law enforcement.  While it truly sucks when someone continually misuses your info, few people want to risk physical confrontations.  And who really wants to send their Mom to jail?

Receiving credit reports by snail mail substantially increases your risk of “real” ID theft as the credit reports include lots of personal info such as previous addresses, jobs, etc.