If a consumer reporting agency receives a request for a consumer report and the address provided for the subject is different from the address in the report, the consumer reporting agency must:

• A. Report the discrepancy to the person requesting the report
• B. Ignore the discrepancy
• C. Contact the subject directly
• D. Reconcile the discrepancy without notifying anyone

Answer: (A)

When a request for a consumer report comes in, the agency checks that the identifying information provided by the requester matches what’s on file. If the address given by the requester doesn’t match the address in the file, the agency must flag that discrepancy and report it to the party requesting the report. This notice helps the requester assess potential issues such as outdated information, misidentification, or possible fraud, so they can take appropriate steps to verify the consumer’s identity or adjust the request before proceeding. The discrepancy shouldn’t be ignored, and the agency shouldn’t contact the consumer directly or reconcile the mismatch without informing the requester.