In January 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a consent order against Equifax, Inc. and Equifax Information Services LLC, one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States. This enforcement action came after the Bureau found that Equifax violated several key provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) — the federal law that ensures the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer credit information.
The CFPB’s findings highlight serious failures in how Equifax handled consumer disputes, reported information, and managed its internal systems. The agency ordered Equifax to correct its practices and imposed a $15 million civil penalty.
What Are CFPB Consent Orders?
A consent order is a legally binding agreement between the CFPB and a company accused of breaking the law. It typically resolves an investigation without the company admitting or denying wrongdoing, but the company must agree to take specific corrective actions and often pay penalties. Consent orders are an important tool the CFPB uses to enforce federal consumer protection laws — including the FCRA, the Consumer Financial Protection Act, and others.
In this case, the CFPB’s order against Equifax aims to hold the company accountable for repeated failures that harmed consumers who relied on its reports and credit scores.
What Equifax Did Wrong
According to the CFPB’s investigation, Equifax failed to meet its legal obligations in several ways:
Failure to Properly Reinvestigate Disputes
When consumers disputed inaccurate or incomplete information on their credit reports, Equifax was required under FCRA to reinvestigate the claims and correct or remove errors. The CFPB found that Equifax often failed to properly review these disputes.Reinserting Deleted Information
The Bureau found that Equifax allowed previously deleted information — including inaccurate or unverifiable data — to reappear in consumer files without proper verification.Inadequate Consumer Notifications
Equifax often failed to give consumers clear, written notice about the results of their disputes, leaving people in the dark about whether their credit reports were actually corrected.Failure to Maintain Accurate Information
The company did not follow reasonable procedures to ensure the “maximum possible accuracy” of consumer information — a key FCRA requirement.Failure to Block Identity Theft-Related Information
When consumers reported that accounts or debts were the result of identity theft, Equifax failed to block that information or notify consumers when blocks were denied or lifted.Selling Inaccurate Credit Scores
Equifax also sold inaccurate credit scores and credit attributes to third parties after introducing faulty “test code” into one of its scoring model servers — an error that affected real consumer data.
Why This Matters
Credit reporting agencies like Equifax play a crucial role in determining whether consumers can get approved for loans, mortgages, jobs, or housing. When these reports are inaccurate, the consequences can be serious — ranging from higher interest rates to being denied credit altogether.
By failing to follow the law, Equifax caused harm to consumers who trusted that the company would handle their disputes fairly and maintain accurate data. The CFPB’s order reinforces that credit reporting agencies must take their legal responsibilities seriously and cannot rely on automated or flawed systems that overlook consumer rights.
The Penalty and What Comes Next
Under the CFPB’s consent order, Equifax must:
Come into full compliance with the FCRA and other consumer protection laws.
Improve its systems and processes for investigating disputes, blocking identity theft-related information, and ensuring accuracy.
Pay a $15 million civil money penalty to the CFPB’s Civil Penalty Fund, which helps compensate consumers harmed by unlawful practices.
The CFPB emphasized that this action is part of its broader effort to strengthen accountability in the credit reporting industry — particularly among the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), which have faced repeated criticism and enforcement actions over the years.
What Consumers Can Do
If you notice inaccurate or incomplete information on your credit report, you have the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to dispute it directly with the credit reporting agencies.
When disputing with Equifax, you can mail your dispute to:
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374-0256
📬 Tip: Always send disputes by certified mail with return receipt and keep copies of your letters and supporting documents. This ensures you have proof of delivery and a record of your dispute.
You can also include a brief, clear explanation of what’s inaccurate, why it’s wrong, and attach any proof that supports your claim (such as payment records or identity theft reports).
The CFPB’s enforcement action serves as a reminder that consumers must stay vigilant — and that major companies like Equifax can be held accountable when they fail to protect consumers’ rights.
Learn More
If you’ve disputed the issue and the inaccurate information still remains on your credit report, contact The Credit Attorney. Our team can review your case, help enforce your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and take legal action if necessary to get your credit corrected.
For full details, you can read the CFPB’s official consent order against Equifax here:
👉 CFPB Consent Order: Equifax, Inc. and Equifax Information Services LLC (January 17, 2025)
