Why Is Someone Else’s Information Listed on My Credit Report?

Credit scores are a uniquely American experience that have a great amount of influence on someone’s day-to-day life. From purchasing a car to applying for an apartment, credit reports will inevitably be checked by some organizations. Despite this, there are a number of cases in which mistakes are made on a credit report, or some element of one is misunderstood. Learn more about your credit report today from a Florida credit report attorney from Sharmin & Sharmin. 

A Credit Bureau Error

Unfortunately, credit bureaus have a large amount of influence on consumers’ lives. This is represented in the consequences a credit bureau’s mistake can have on the financial well-being of an individual. For example, should the name of someone else appear on your credit report, their poor credit or bankruptcy could have lasting financial impacts. One of the most common mistakes out there that bureaus make is, in fact, the “mixing” or “splitting” of someone’s credit report.

Splitting a file can be an extremely annoying mistake for someone to try to correct. This usually is the result of a poorly organized or negligent credit system, although it can also be the result of identity theft. In short, a split file is when a credit bureau mixes two people up. Should two people have the same name or a similar name, they could easily be confused on credit reports. In any case, mixed reporting can come from a variety of reasons:

• Cosigning;
• Mistakes from loan officers;
• Mixing up SSNs; 
• Incorrectly-entered Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) information 

As is noted, there is a possibility that the listing of someone else’s name on someone’s credit report is a result of the consumer’s error, such as if they misspelled a name or entered their significant other’s information in place of their own, for example.

Removing Incorrect Information From a Credit Report

Fortunately, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows consumers to have any false or erroneous information on a credit report removed. Under this legislation, credit bureaus have 30 days to complete the correction before facing legal penalties. The first step is reaching out to an experienced attorney. Attorneys know the ins and outs of financial law and will be someone’s best available resource as they try to properly sort out their credit score report. 

This lawyer will help you call each credit reporting company involved in the issue and dispute the mistakes made on your report. Finally, should the information be corrected in a timely manner, an experienced legal team will be able to fight for compensation for damage done to finances or emotional state as a result of the error. 

Concerned About Your Credit Report? Reach Out to Us Today

The negative influence that someone else’s information can have on someone’s credit report can be severe and long-lasting. The attorneys at Sharmin & Sharmin understand this reality after helping Floridians with their finances for decades. Our mission is to protect and advocate for you, the consumer. Give one of our Florida credit report attorneys a call today at 1-844-Sharmin where we will be able to better assist you on your road to recovery.