Credit Blog

The FCRA specifically permits consumers to dispute responsibility for fraudulent credit card charges directly to the credit bureaus that are reporting those charges (generally Equifax, Experian, and/or Trans Union). If a consumer's dispute of fraudulent credit card charges is "verified" (meaning that the furnisher and/or CRA has found the reporting to be accurate), the consumer then has a case that is ripe for filing in federal court pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

Instead of obtaining that white-glove fraud protection and receiving a fast refund of charges made by an identity thief -- in many cases obviously fraudulent charges -- too many people are told that the bank has conducted a thorough investigation and determined that the consumer either made the allegedly fraudulent charges or authorized them.