Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.
Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.
44 incidents closest to “Experian Boost” · matched on meaning · public reporting
Job applicants were subjected to biometric data collection during video interviews without proper consent.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Data centers' electricity and water consumption raised utility bills for local residents.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Cigna, one of the largest health insurers, used an algorithm called PXDX to automatically deny medical claims. The system flagged mismatches between diagnoses and procedures, and company doctors signed off on denials in batches without reviewing patient files. One patient, Nick van Terheyden, was denied coverage for a $350 vitamin D test that his doctor had ordered. Former employees said the system saved Cigna billions of dollars but left patients with unexpected bills.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Scammers used generative AI to create a fake clone of the brokerage firm Exante, including a replicated trading platform and AI-generated passports. They opened a real JPMorgan Chase bank account using a US address and tricked at least one US victim into transferring funds. Exante, which does not serve US clients, discovered the scam when the victim was registered on its real platform and reported the incident to the FBI, SEC, CFTC, and other authorities. The scammers remain unidentified, and the victim's funds have not been recovered.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The AI platform screened job applicants, affecting their hiring prospects.
1 source article · read the reporting →
AI screening system determined which job applicants to advance to the next stage of recruitment.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Checkr's system misreported criminal records belonging to someone else on Natasha Davis's consumer report, impeding her ability to gain employment.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Mary Louis and Monica Douglas filed a class action lawsuit in 2022 alleging that SafeRent Solutions' SafeRent Score product discriminated against rental applicants in Massachusetts who held public housing vouchers, violating fair housing and consumer protection laws. SafeRent denied wrongdoing. The court approved a settlement in November 2024, and payments were distributed to eligible class members in 2025 and 2026.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Tenant screening companies assign renters a score drawn from data far wider than credit history, an industry subject to less regulation than credit scoring agencies. ProPublica reports that experts warn these algorithms can decide who gets an apartment on the basis of information applicants cannot see or correct. Kim Fuller was denied a rental application on such a score.
1 source article · read the reporting →
In late 2019, David Heinemeier Hansson alleged on Twitter that the Apple Card underwriting algorithm, operated by Goldman Sachs, gave him a higher credit limit than his wife despite similar financial profiles. The New York Department of Financial Services investigated and found no violation of fair lending laws, but critics argue the audit methodology was outdated and failed to detect proxy discrimination. Apple later updated its credit policy to allow spouses to combine credit files, acknowledging a lack of fairness in industry credit scoring.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Hello Digit, a fintech company, used an automated savings algorithm that made transfers from consumers' checking accounts, falsely guaranteeing no overdrafts. The algorithm caused customers to incur overdraft fees, and the company often denied reimbursement requests. The CFPB found that Hello Digit engaged in deceptive practices and ordered the company to pay redress to harmed consumers and a $2.7 million fine.
1 source article · read the reporting →
An investigation by SPIEGEL and BR Data reveals that Schufa's credit scoring algorithm often assigns poor risk scores to consumers with only positive credit information. One consumer, Sven Drewert, was denied a credit card limit increase despite having no negative entries. The algorithm uses limited data, and its secret formula can lead to arbitrary categorisations, affecting access to loans, phone contracts, and housing. The system's opacity and potential biases raise concerns about fairness and accountability.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The Portland Water Bureau used a machine learning system in a randomised control trial to identify customers for its financial assistance programme. The system selected Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, a billionaire and one of the city's largest residential water consumers, for a 40% water bill discount. Boyle declined the discount, stating it should go to someone who needs it. The bureau is testing whether the SERVUS algorithm can accurately identify customers' ability to pay.
1 source article · read the reporting →
BBC reporter Dan Simmons set up an HSBC voice-ID authenticated account. His non-identical twin brother Joe was able to mimic his voice and gain access after eight attempts, viewing balances and transactions and being offered the chance to transfer money. HSBC acknowledged the breach and reduced the number of allowed attempts from seven to three. The bank stated that the system remains secure and that the scenario was not typical of fraud.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
A journalist used an AI-generated clone of his own voice to bypass the voice authentication system of Lloyds Bank, gaining access to his account. The experiment, conducted using ElevenLabs' free voice synthesis service, demonstrated that voice biometrics can be fooled by synthetic voices. Lloyds Bank stated it is aware of the threat and is deploying countermeasures, but has not seen real-world fraud using this method. The incident raises concerns about the security of voice verification used by many banks.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Popular smartphone apps including Life360, MyRadar and GasBuddy reportedly shared users' location and motion data with Arity, an Allstate-owned company. Arity used the data to calculate driving scores that could be sold to car insurers to set rates. Users were said not to be clearly informed that their data would be used for insurance pricing. Life360 and Arity stated that users had to opt in and that no personally identifiable driving data was shared without consent.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took action against General Information Services and its affiliate e-Background-checks.com for failing to ensure the accuracy of employment background screening reports. The companies allegedly provided inaccurate criminal history information to employers, potentially affecting job applicants' eligibility and causing reputational harm. The CFPB ordered the companies to provide $10.5 million in relief to harmed consumers and pay a $2.5 million penalty.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
A study of mortgage lending from 2012-2018 found that Latinx and African-American borrowers were charged higher interest rates than white borrowers with similar credit risk. FinTech algorithms reduced the disparity by 40% but did not eliminate it. The discrimination costs minority borrowers an estimated $765 million per year in extra interest.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned the public that scammers are using deep fake videos and audio of Lance Gokongwei to endorse fraudulent investment schemes. The manipulated media circulate on social media, deceiving people into investing in a platform registered in Cyprus. Victims are asked to provide credit card details and OTPs, then lose contact when attempting to withdraw funds. The SEC advises the public to verify investment offers with the agency.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The Gradient app, a celebrity lookalike app promoted by the Kardashians, charges users $19.99 per month after a three-day free trial without clear disclosure. Users complained on social media about unexpected credit card charges. The app's developer, Ticket to the Moon, has not addressed the billing complaints but denied collecting user data.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
A study by the Universities of Padua, Udine and Carnegie Mellon found that Italian car insurers, including Genertel, Mps, Quixa and Con.Te, use birthplace and citizenship in pricing algorithms, charging some drivers over €1,000 more. The practice was ruled against in a 2018 decree involving Linear, but the study says it continues. The companies contacted denied or explained the findings.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
DeepScore, a Tokyo-based company, is marketing an app that uses facial and voice recognition to score people's trustworthiness for lenders and insurers in Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The company says the app can detect deception with 70 per cent accuracy, but researchers and privacy advocates say there is no reliable scientific basis for such judgments and warn of discrimination and privacy harms. The chief executive said the system is only one part of lenders' and insurers' decision-making and that people can choose not to use it. Critics respond that an unequal balance of power makes consent difficult.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
The Markup found that four companies—Aspiration, Hometap, Chime, and Varo Bank—ran Facebook ads for credit cards and home equity loans that were targeted by age, excluding users under 25 or 35. This practice violates Facebook's own anti-discrimination policy and may violate the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. Facebook did not respond to requests for comment, and some advertisers said they would review their ad targeting.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
A study from Queensland University of Technology found that X's algorithm was changed in mid-July 2024 to systematically boost Republican-leaning accounts and Elon Musk's account. The analysis showed a significant increase in engagement for right-wing accounts after Musk endorsed Donald Trump. The findings suggest possible algorithmic bias, but X has not commented.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
