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Credit reports contain information on each consumer’s credit history. Since lenders use your credit report to decide whether or not to advance credit to you, it is important for you to make sure that your credit report is accurate.

How do I request an investigation?
If you believe that there is incorrect information in your credit report, you can request that the credit reporting agency investigate your claim. In order to process your complaint, the agency can require that your correction request be put into writing and that you provide sufficient information regarding the alleged error.

There are three credit reporting agencies:

EXPERIAN
www.experian.com
1-888-397-3742
National Consumer Assistance Department
P.O. Box 9530
Allen , TX 75013
To report fraud: 1-888-397-3742

TRANS UNION
www.transunion.com
1-800-916-8800
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton , CA 92834
To report fraud: 1-800-680-7289

EQUIFAX
www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta , GA 30374
To report fraud: 1-800-525-6285

What happens during an investigation?
Once they receive your request, the credit reporting agency must notify the creditor in question that you are disputing the credit information and will ask the creditor to review his/her records. In some cases, the agency might find that the dispute is “frivolous or irrelevant,” and so will not conduct an investigation. In this case, the agency must notify you that it is dismissing your case within five days of its decision and state specific reasons for its finding.
If any errors are found, the credit reporting agency must correct, complete, or delete the incorrect information within 3 business days. If you disagree with the credit reporting agency’s investigation conclusion, you may write your own brief statement (no more than 100 words) that clearly states your version of the dispute. This statement will be included along with your credit report when the credit reporting agency sends out the report to lenders.

Can deleted information be reinserted into the report?
If inaccurate or unverifiable information is deleted from your credit report, the information cannot be reinserted into the report unless it is verified by your creditor. If deleted information is reinserted, the credit reporting agency must notify you within 15 days and give you a toll-free number to call to request the contact of the person who requested the insertion of the information.

Additional Resources
Attorney General Consumer Guide to Credit (PDF)

Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 727-2200

Consumer Complaint and Information Hotline
(617) 727-8400