Dispute With the Credit Bureaus if you’re mistakenly declared dead!

"It appears that I have passed away on my credit report. How can I dispute this with the credit bureaus?" These are only the top three queries people do these days while looking for credit reports. Learn more about the disagreements and how to resolve them.

A formal notification that the information used to list you as deceased is untrue is provided by disputing the error with the credit bureau(s) that made the mistake, even if the mistake only affects one old account. Once more, before submitting a dispute, you may check and find all reporting inaccuracies by obtaining a free copy of your credit report from each credit agency (see above for precise instructions on how to do this).

You shall adhere to the online instructions provided by the credit bureau(s) in order to submit a dispute. You just need to submit a dispute with the one credit agency if it is the only one that has reported your death (whether it be across all of your accounts or just one). You must file a direct dispute with each credit agency (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) if the mistakes affect all three credit reports.

Why It's Best to File Your Dispute Through Certified Mail

Customers who want to contest information in a credit report may be able to do so using an online dispute platform offered by the credit bureaus and other CRAs. However, you forfeit your right to file a case if you regularly use an online platform. At the beginning of the dispute process, it is usually not in your best advantage to give up the right to sue. Therefore, we highly advise using certified letters to dispute fraudulent death designations—as well as any other inaccuracy. Furthermore, you maintain control over the paperwork certifying the fact that you delivered the dispute package and that the credit bureau(s) received it when you sent it via certified mail.

Send a Certified Letter along with Annotated Copies of Corresponding Records.

Sending a dispute letter outlining every item on your credit report that is erroneous, deceptive, or untrue is often required when filing a dispute. When it comes to bogus dead indications, this may be the case for a designation on your whole credit report. Be exact, detailed, and unambiguous.

Provide copies of the supporting paperwork, such as your credit report with the areas of dispute noted and cited in the letter clearly underlined. Ask that the contested entries and/or indications be looked into and updated. After 30 days after receiving your certified letter, if you have not heard back from the credit agency, get in touch with Consumer Attorneys.

Being listed as dead gives rise to legal action.

Notably, even if the credit agency or other CRA corrects the error, you could still be able to sue if they are reporting you as dead. As an example, fixing the mistake could not have saved you from getting hurt (such losing out on a house, car loan, or career opportunity) or from having the mistake reported to other businesses. Therefore, simply when CRAs update their records in response to your formal disagreement does not mean that they are exempt from responsibility or blame.

On its website, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers direct contact details for consumers wishing to dispute issues with credit bureaus. Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection