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If your credit history has installment loans, collection accounts, or credit card accounts that you don’t recognize, you may believe that you are a victim of identity theft, but you may have an uncommon credit report error known as a “mixed credit file.” Many people with mixed files think that they are victims of identity theft because their consumer credit files list unfamiliar creditors or someone else’s identifying information on their credit file. In some instances, consumers cannot see the unfamiliar consumer information on their own credit file with the credit reporting agencies (CRAs) but learn of the credit report errors when a mortgage broker or loan officer pulls the credit report.
Unlike credit frauds, most mixed credit files arise in only one of a consumer’s three major credit files for the national credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, or Trans Union. On the other hand, fraud accounts from identity theft normally appear in each of a person’s credit reports for these credit bureaus. Additionally, most mixed credit reports will also contain alternative identification information, different addresses, multiple dates of birth, and similar social security numbers for the consumer. Mixed credit files can include any kind of account information that belongs to another person including,
If you see credit reporting errors and think you have a mixed report or may have been an identity theft victim, contact us today.
The credit reporting agencies receive information from more than 40,000 sources of credit information. In order to match credit accounts and payment histories with individual consumers, the credit bureaus rely on a system that allows partial matches of personal identifying information. So similar social security numbers may be a complete match — each of the bureaus, considers a match of 7 of 9 digits to be close enough to match an account to a consumer. The credit bureaus use similar logic to match other personal information like date of birth, first name, last name, and zip code information.
With this kind of “fuzzy logic” at work, people with common names or who have family members with similar names are at risk. Those consumers can find their credit reports full of incorrect information and other credit errors from someone else’s credit file.
If you think you may have If you think you inaccurate information on your report from a mixed credit file, contact our law firm today for free legal advice about our situation.
Most consumers live with mixed credit for years, paying higher credit card rates, increased insurance costs, and having fewer credit offers. These economic losses come from a lower FICO credit score that comes with having merged credit with another person.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a Federal consumer law that gives consumers rights against the credit bureaus for credit report errors like mixed credit files. If these inaccuracies appear on your report, the FCRA entitles you to recover damages for higher interest rates, credit denials, or the loss of a job opportunity. You may also be entitled to recover actual damages for the frustration and embarrassment of having your credit file ruined.
If someone else’s debts or credit is in your credit file, contact our law office for a free consultation.
Lyngklip & Associates have been representing people in mixed credit file and consumer protection cases for nearly 30 years. Our office focuses on credit restoration, not credit repair. We can help you draft your credit dispute letters and help get compensation if you have been denied credit or favorable credit terms. Ian Lyngklip is one of the nation’s most respected mixed file lawyers and has been coaching and training other lawyers on how to pursue these cases since 2003. He can help you recover compensation for any harm and punitive damages available under federal law.
If you need help to make the credit bureaus include only accurate information in your credit report, contact us today.
Federal law gives victims of mixed credit files and other inaccuracies the right to attorney’s fees for restoring their credit and fighting the bureaus. If you have someone else’s credit on your report your fees are paid by the other side, and we charge nothing unless we can get a recovery for you. Your initial consultation is free.
Our credit report attorneys can help you review your credit disclosure and help identify the accurate information and the information that does not belong to you and dispute the credit information that belongs on the other person’s report. If the dispute process doesn’t fix your report, our attorneys can sue the credit bureau to correct the report and get you compensation for any harm to your credit or other damage done. Afterward, our attorneys will help with free credit monitoring to make sure your credit rating reflects your true credit history.
If you have a consumer credit reporting issue that is impacting your creditworthiness, contact our firm today.
If you are looking for additional resources, you can get a free copy of your credit file from the Annual Credit Report website.
You can also get more information on false death reports directly from the credit bureaus.
You can make a complaint about your experience with the credit bureaus or see other consumer complaints by visiting:
There are four major credit bureaus that get information from lenders, debt collectors, and public record collectors. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that these credit reporting agencies provide you with a free copy of your credit report every year and to process credit report disputes within 30 days.
If you are looking for additional resources, you can get a free copy of your credit file from the Annual Credit Report website here.
For a more complete list of the companies that operate as consumer reporting agencies, you can see the list prepared by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on their website here. For more information on getting your free credit report, you can also visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website here.
Our law firm has retooled after the pandemic. We can provide initial consultations by phone, Zoom, or any of the other major conferencing platforms. There’s no need to fight the credit bureaus by yourself. Get an attorney-client relationship with Michigan’s most respected credit reporting attorneys. Contact us now for a free consultation.
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