Reported as Deceased
Every year, the federal government wrongly reports 15,000 as deceased to the credit bureaus. Keep your credit healthy. Reclaim your life.
Mistakenly Reported as Deceased
A Common Problem
While you may not have heard of this happening before, thousands of consumers each year experience the same thing. Credit bureaus mistakenly placing a “deceased indicator” on a living consumer’s report. If you have mistakenly been reported as deceased by a credit bureau you already know the impact it can have on your credit score, credit applications, or insurance.
Having a deceased notation on your consumer credit file can prevent you from getting a mortgage, bank account or a driver’s license. It may even cause credit card companies to revoke your credit cards, stop reporting credit information, and cancellation of your insurance policies. Most importantly, the FICO scoring model will not generate a credit score based on a deceased person’s credit. Without that FICO credit score, most financial institutions cannot issue any line of credit.
A false “deceased” notation on your credit file is no laughing matter, and this kind of credit report error can turn your life upside down. If your credit history show you mistakenly reported as deceased, call us toll free at (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site. for a free initial consultation.
Common Causes
Most often, a false death report starts in one of two places, the Social Security Administration (SSA) or a creditor.
Every year the SSA mistakenly reports 15,000 people as deceased on its Death Master File. That file contains the names of every person who has ever been issued a social security number and died. The purpose of this list is to provide lenders, credit card companies, and credit bureaus with a quick way to find out if a social security number is being fraudulently used or as part of an identity theft. The names of the deceased normally come from death certificates, but sometimes the SSA makes a mistake by adding the wrong person to the Death Master Files. These files are send credit reporting agencies who use it to identify the credit files of dead consumers in their own systems. If you have been marked as deceased by the social security office, chances are good that you will be reported as deceased by the credit bureaus too.
Credit companies and lenders can also cause a deceased notation on your credit file. When banks and lenders learn that one of their customers has died, they are required close the credit account of the deceased person and report that person as deceased to the credit bureaus and social security office. But sometimes, financial institutions mark a joint account holder, family member, or associated person as deceased, rather the the person who has actually died. When these mistakes are added to their records, they also get added to the credit bureau records.
If you have been mistakenly reported as deceased, reach out today to (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
How A Credit Report Attorney Can Help
An experienced credit report attorney can help if you have been mistakenly reported as deceased using the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Here are some of the things they can help with.
- Correcting Reports of Your Death
Fixing a mistaken report of your own death can be a multi-step process. Many credit bureaus and financial institutions rely on the SSA’s death record to update their own records. So, if you have been reported as deceased, you many need to correct your record with the Social Security Administration, the credit bureaus, as well as with any providers of date to to the CRAs.
Our attorney can reach out to the social security office and credit bureaus for you to get a free copy of your file, and then help to correct any other records that can cause you problems down the road. If you need help correcting a mistaken report of your own death, call now to (877) 400-CREDIT | (877) 400-2773 or contact us now through this site. - Compensations for Your Actual Damages
If you have been through the dispute process to correct the deceased notation on your credit file and been denied credit, the Fair Credit Reporting act provides you the right to compensation. You can receive damages for the credit errors and negative information that harmed you. While credit repair companies and the Federal Trade Commission offer help, they rarely sue on behalf of individual consumers. Our firm can help restore your credit so you can get approved for credit at the interest rates that you deserve. Call now to find out if you can receive compensation for any actual damages, (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site. - Punitive Damages
In some cases of a false death record, consumers may be able to recover punitive damages. These recoveries happen most often when the consumer has written several credit dispute letters about the same problem or when they have had a common problem that other consumers had. These damages are usually limited to a multiple of between 1 and 10 times any actual damages. Contact us today to find out if you may qualify for punitive damages, (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site. - Credit Restoration, Not Credit Repair
For victims of false death records on their credit file, fixing credit is only the beginning. Most consumers need ongoing credit monitoring to make sure that the report stays free of credit errors. Our firm provides continuing support and free consultations for our clients to make sure that any inaccurate information stays off their report. That support includes help getting free credit reports, drafting fraud alerts, reviewing credit reports, and identifying any signs of false death records. Call now for help to keep mistaken death records off your credit reports, (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
End the Cycle
False death reports can happen to anyone. While many web sites and credit bureaus offer help, consumers can get trapped in an endless cycle of phone calls, disputes and letter writing. Our team can help you restore your true credit and get compensation for credit denials, harm to your credit reputation, and ordeal of correcting the errors. If you are tired of the endless cycle of disputes call now, (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
No Fees for Help With Your Disputes
About Our Credit Report Lawyers Ian Lyngklip has been litigating credit report errors since and 2001 and has nearly 30 years of experience in FCRA litigation. He has been coaching and training other lawyers since 2003. He can help you recover compensation for any harm and punitive damages available under federal law. We won’t charge you any up front fees to help you dispute your credit errors. And, if we file a lawsuit for you, your fees are paid by the other side. There is no charge unless we recover for you. Call now for help to keep mistaken death records off your credit reports, use our toll free phone number (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
Your Attorney’s Fees Paid by The Other Side
Our law firm knows consumer rights and we will use the FCRA to help correct your report and have the credit reporting agencies pay your fees. There is no up-front fee and we only get paid if we can recover for you.
Free Phone or Zoom Consultation
There’s no need to fight the credit bureaus by yourself. Get the representation of Michigan’s most respected credit reporting attorneys. Call now (877) 400-CREDIT | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
FAQ
- Why does my credit report say I am deceased?
Chances are good that either the Social Security Administration has placed your name on the Death Master File or one of your creditors has mistakenly reported you as deceased.
- What can you do if your credit report says you are deceased?
The first step is to dispute the deceased notation with the credit reporting agencies. Your dispute should request that they identify to you the name of the source of their information about the notation. When you receive the response, you should dispute the death record with the source of the information used by the credit bureau.
- What is the impact on my credit score if my credit report says I am deceased?
If you are reported as deceased, your credit report cannot be used to generate a credit score. You effectively have no credit score if your report says you are deceased.
- Will a false death report or deceased notation impact an application for a student loan or mortgage?
Yes. If your credit report includes the codes indicating that you are dead, your report cannot be used to create a credit score. Without that score, you cannot receive some kinds of credit like a student loan or home mortgage.
Other Resources
If you are looking for additional resources, you can get a free copy of your credit file from the Annual Credit Report web site. If you are requesting your report by mail because you are reported as deceased, be sure to provide your full name, date of birth, and social security number on your request form.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
You can also get more information on false death reports directly from the the credit bureaus. Their contact information is here,
- Experian
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-to-do-if-mistakenly-reported-as-deceased/ - Equifax
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/mistakenly-reported-as-deceased/ - Trans Union
https://www.transunion.com/credit-disputes/credit-disputes-faq#top-dispute-faqs-6
And you can make a complaint about your experience with the credit bureaus or see other consumer complaints by visiting
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/disputing-errors-your-credit-reports
There is also more information about credit reporting errors from false death reports and the Death Master File on the web,
Quora
https://www.quora.com/search?q=mistakenly%20reported%20as%20deceased%20on%20credit%20report
Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=mistakenly%20reported%20as%20deceased%20on%20credit%20report
Your Attorney’s Fees Paid by the Credit Bureaus
Federal law provides victims of false credit reports with the right to attorney’s fees for restoring their credit and fighting the bureaus. If you have been mistakenly reported as deceased by the credit bureaus in Michigan your fees are paid by the other side, and we charge nothing unless we can get a recover for you. Your initial consultation is free. Call now for help to keep mistaken death records off your credit reports, (877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
Who are the credit bureaus that have information about me?
There are four major credit bureaus that get information from lenders, debt collectors, and public record collectors. They are each required to provide consumers with a fee copy of their credit file every year.
- Equifax
1550 Peachtree Street Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30309
https://www.Equifax.com
- Experian
701 Experian Parkway
Allen, TX 75013
https://www.Experian.com
- Innovis
250 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
https://www.Innovis.com - Trans Union
555 West Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60661
https://www.TransUnion.com
Additionally, there are dozens of other credit reporting agencies who collect and sell data about consumers. Here are some of the others and their addresses where you can request your free credit file.
- Accurint Consumer Inquiry Department
P.O. Box 105610
Atlanta, GA 30348‑5610
- ACXIOM Risk Mitigation
12303 Airport Way, Suite 300
Broomfield, CO 80021
- BackgroundChecks.Com
Consumer Relations Department
P.O. Box 353
Chapin, South Carolina 29036
- Checkr
One Montgomery Street
Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94104
- ChexSystems
7805 Hudson Road-Suite 100
Woodbury, MN 55125
- Clarity Services, Inc.
15550 Lightwave Dr., Ste. 350
Clearwater, FL 33760
- CoreLogic/Credco
Corporate Headquarters
40 Pacifica, Suite 900
Irvine, CA 92618
- Credential Check Corporation
575 East Big Beaver Road, Suite 300
Troy, MI 48083‑1300 USA
- Data X ltd
325 E Warm Springs Rd Suite 202
Las Vegas, NV 89119
- Early Warning Services, LLC
16552 North 90th Street #100,
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
- FactorTrust, Inc.
Attention: Consumer Inquiries
P.O. Box 3653
Alpharetta, GA 30023
- First Advantage Consumer Center
P.O. Box 105292
Atlanta, GA 30348‑5292
- HireRight
14002 E. 21st Street, Suite 1200
Tulsa, OK 74134
- LexisNexis
P.O. Box 105292
Atlanta, GA 30348-5292
- MicroBilt Corporation
1640 Airport Rd, Suite 115
Kennesaw, GA 30144
- SageStream, LLC
Consumer Office,
P.O. Box 503793
San Diego, CA 92150
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) at their web site: https://www.consumerfinance.gov.
Where do you practice?
Our office is located in Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. We practice throughout the entire state, and we have been admitted to practice and made appearances in several other states where we are not licensed: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia. If we are unable to practice in the state where your case needs to be filed, we can make a referral to another qualified credit report attorney near you.
If you are looking for an attorney to help in one of our service areas, call us toll free at(877) 400-CREDit | (877) 400-2733 or contact us now through this site.
Our Areas of Practice
Our firm exclusively represents consumers in disputes with businesses. Most of our cases focus on consumer credit issues like representation for a victim of identity theft, mixed credit files, and obsolete credit information.