CFPB Fines Experian $3 Million

March 23, 2017

On Thursday, March 23, 2017, the CFPB took action against Experian and its subsidiaries for deceiving consumers about the use of credit scores it sold to consumers. Experian claimed the credit scores it marketed and provided to consumers were used by lenders to make credit decisions when in fact, lenders did not use Experian’s scores to make those decisions. The CFPB ordered Experian to pay a civil penalty of $3 million and to truthfully represent the ways its credit scores are used.

 

Experian developed its own proprietary credit scoring model, referred to as the “PLUS Score,” which it applied to information in consumer credit files to generate a credit score it offered directly to consumers. The PLUS Score is an “educational” credit score and is not used by lenders for credit decisions.