Mistakenly reported dead: Who’s affected?
Have you been marked as “deceased” or “dead” by a credit reporting company, the Social Security Administration (SSA) or another entity?
Thousands of Americans are mistakenly marked dead on a credit report or by the SSA each year. The concept of being marked “deceased” when you’re not might seem silly at first, but the impact of that designation is anything but.
You could incur long-term financial damage due to the marking as well as a lot of short-term financial woes.
Credit checks are used for all kinds of purchases. Being marked as deceased on a credit report can impact many parts of your life, like:
- Buying a home or car
- Applying to rent an apartment
- Requesting a new line of credit
- Keeping your insurance policy
- Being hired
Being marked dead by the Social Security Administration (SSA) can cause additional problems with things like:
- Opening bank accounts or withdrawing from existing ones
- Transferring money
- Applying for credit including a mortgage, student loan and car financing
- Signing official documents
- Receiving government benefits, including Social Security
- Renewing a personal or professional driver’s license
- Securing a business license
- Using or renewing credit cards
Do you qualify?
Were you marked as “deceased” on a credit report or by the Social Security Administration? You should act now.
If your life has been negatively impacted by inaccurately being marked “deceased,” then you may have a claim. Those injuries can include:
- Losing credit or employment
- Auto loan denials
- Mortgage denials
- Higher interest rates on loans
- Insurance cancellation
Please fill out the form on this page for more information.
What can I do?
If you are marked as “deceased” on a credit report or by the SSA, it’s important that you act quickly to dispute the errors.
You can attempt to handle the issue yourself by making calls to all the applicable parties and credit bureaus, but sometimes the dispute platforms at these companies require you to waive certain legal rights. Or you can hire an attorney to handle the process.
Unfortunately, many people find that attempts to dispute information on their own end with incomplete, inadequate or non-existent changes. By understanding every detail of the process and the law and knowing the most common roadblocks to a successful dispute, lawyers can be the difference between resolving errors or being trapped in a seemingly endless loop.
Timeliness and follow-through are essential to make certain that all facets of the incorrect marking are removed from your credit report or by the SSA permanently.
Why does it matter?
There are a range of negative impacts that can occur if one of the three main nationwide credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — mark you as deceased. This includes being barred from viewing your credit report entirely as the agencies may presume someone is attempting to commit fraud.
You can also be prevented from using credit to secure a loan for a car or home or open a new line of credit. Your credit score can also be damaged, which may prevent you from securing favorable financing terms in the future.
The issues can even lead to the cancellation of credit cards or insurance policies as you are assumed to be deceased.
What are your rights?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires companies that provide information to credit bureaus to investigate disputed information. Each individual credit bureau and the party or parties providing incorrect information are then responsible for the costs of fixing the error.
The FCRA contains provisions requiring credit agencies to keep accurate information, including allowing consumers one free credit report per year. It also has provisions regarding “risk-based pricing” notices and credit scores for consumers who are denied or receive less favorable offers of credit.
If a consumer informs a credit reporting agency that inaccurate information is in a report, the agency has 30 days from the notification to investigate and correct the information. The consumer should then receive notification of the determination within five business days of the investigation being completed.
At that point, the credit reporting agency must notify any potential creditor that inquired about the consumer in the last two years that information has been corrected.
Join a deceased credit report lawsuit investigation
Being mistakenly marked as “deceased” on a credit report or by the SSA can have a lasting impact on your credit along with causing financial injury in the short term.
If you were marked as “deceased” by a credit reporting agency, SSA or another entity, you may qualify to participate in a deceased credit report lawsuit investigation.
See If You Qualify
Join a deceased credit report lawsuit investigation
Filling out this form is quick and easy. It only takes a few minutes to see if you qualify.
After you fill out the form, an attorney(s) or their agent(s) may contact you to discuss your legal rights.
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