Equifax allegedly failed to conduct reasonable investigations of consumer disputes of hard inquiries in credit files, failed to maintain reasonable procedures regarding inquiry disputes, and, in the alternative, failed to remove disputed inquiries from credit files, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Eligibility
All persons residing in the United States and its territories for whom Equifax's records reflect that it received a mailed letter disputing one or more hard inquiries between October 4, 2016 and March 27, 2026 coded as "not mine" (001) or "unauthorized" (383) (the Certified Group), or that it received one or more disputes of a hard inquiry between August 31, 2021 and March 27, 2026 (the General Dispute Group).
Estimated Payout
Approximately $300 (Certified Group), approximately $100 (General Dispute Group), or approximately $400 (New York Subclass), depending on claims rates
Claim Deadline
2026-11-29
Last verified
October 5, 2026
Background
Equifax has agreed to pay $30 million to settle four similar lawsuits alleging that it did not reasonably investigate consumer disputes of hard inquiries and did not remove disputed inquiries from credit files. The settlement resolves Hines v. Equifax Information Services LLC, Case No. 1:19-cv-06701 (E.D.N.Y.), Rivera v. Equifax Information Services LLC, Case No. 1:18-cv-04639 (N.D. Ga.), Oblack v. Equifax Information Services LLC, Case No. 3:25-cv-01997 (D.N.J.), and Neubauer v. Equifax Information Services LLC, now pending as Case No. 1:24-cv-04615 (N.D. Ga.). The claims are brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and analogous New York and New Jersey state credit reporting laws. Class members must submit a claim form by November 29, 2026; exclusion and objection deadlines are November 20, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for December 10, 2026. A unique Claim Number and PIN from the mailed notice are required to file.