Florida Mistakenly Reported as Deceased Lawyer

When applying for a mortgage, a personal loan, an automobile loan, or a credit card, the bank or agency will run your credit. Often, there are mistakes on your credit report, so it is important to know what is there. Shockingly, each year, thousands of people are reported dead. 

If this has happened to you, a Florida mistakenly reported as deceased lawyer with Sharmin & Sharmin Attorneys at Law can help you straighten out the issue and prove that you are, indeed, very much alive. Without the proper help, the consequences of being reported as dead can have a catastrophic effect on your credit.  

How Floridians Are Mistakenly Reported as Dead

Being reported as dead can be a headache to clear up. It can cause a lot of problems for years to come if not corrected. If this has happened to you, you may be wondering how it happened.

There are a number of reasons that this happens. Most commonly, the credit bureau has you confused with an actual deceased person. Sometimes this happens when a family member passes away, someone you share an account with, or someone who shares your name or has a similar name or social security number. 

If the credit bureaus are reporting that you are dead, it will be extremely difficult to secure any kind of loan or line of credit. Our credit report attorneys at Sharmin & Sharmin can help clear up this costly misunderstanding. You can rest assured that we will clear up the mix-up for you.

Is the Credit Agency Reporting You as Dead Legal?

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), these consumer reporting agencies are tasked with taking appropriate precautions to ensure what they are reporting is as accurate as possible. Because of this, they are violating federal law if they report you as dead. If this has happened to you, you are entitled to pursue damages against the reporting agency.

By reporting that you are dead, they are in violation of the FCRA because they obviously have not taken the appropriate steps to make sure they are accurately reporting your death. By not practicing due diligence, their failure could leave them financially accountable for the mistake.  

Being reported as dead can be difficult to overcome, and because of the problems it creates, you may have a case that is very valuable if you have suffered the consequences of being reported deceased in Florida. There are three main reporting bureaus, and there have been incidents of each bureau having to pay their victims more than $100,000.

The Effects of Being Reported Deceased 

It can take a lot of effort to develop a good credit score. One of the most devastating parts of being reported dead is that you will lose that hard-earned score. Dead people have no credit scores, and if you are reported as deceased, even if you are making every payment on time, you will not receive credit for it. 

This can have a negative impact on your life in a number of ways, like the ones listed below: 

• You could be denied a mortgage
• Credit cards would be impossible to obtain
• You could be declined when applying for student loans
• Personal loans could be unattainable
• Health insurance could even be difficult to acquire
• You could be refused a new bank account
• You may not even be able to acquire access to your own credit report
• You might be suspected of identity theft of a dead person

Many people do not even realize they have been reported as deceased until they attempt to use their credit. To correct the mistake and set things right, employing a credit report attorney is in your best interest.

How Your Credit Report Demonstrates Your Death

Credit reporting agencies typically believe you have passed away if it was reported to them by a creditor of yours. The Social Security Administration may have caused this because of a misinterpretation in their Death Master File. If this happens, you are not responsible.

It happened because the creditors and credit reporting agencies were mistaken in the “facts” they were reporting. There are a few reasons this could happen, and they are listed below: 

• Mixed up with someone with a similar social security number
• Someone with the same name or a similar one
• You could be mixed up with someone with a similar account number
• There was a mix-up with your identification data

You must promptly move to correct these errors as soon as you can. If you fail to do so, your credit report could be mixed up with the person who is dead, and it could hinder you from accessing your credit for years to come. A credit report error attorney in Florida can help explore your legal options.

Steps to Take if You Are Reported as Deceased in Florida

To avoid the devastating consequences of being reported as deceased, there are measures you should take as soon as you know there is a problem. You will need to get a copy of your credit report. You should do this from the following agencies to determine if only one of the credit reporting agencies have you listed as dead or if all three have done the same:

• Transunion
• Experian
• Equifax

It is crucial to note that if you first realized you had been reported dead when applying for a mortgage, the mortgage company could have acquired your credit report from a reseller, which obtains data from the three credit reporting agencies and consolidates it into one report. By seeing how each credit reporting bureau is reporting on you, you will have a better idea of where to begin correcting it. Obtain a copy of the Annual Credit Report to get a better understanding of what is happening.

Getting a copy of your credit report might be a headache since the agencies believe that you are deceased. Your credit report lawyer can help you do this and can work to correct the mistakes before they cause any more problems for you.

Contact a Florida Mistakenly Reported as Deceased Lawyer Today for Assistance

Call an experienced Florida fair credit reporting act lawyer with Sharmin & Sharmin Attorneys at Law as soon as possible to begin repairing the mistakes that the credit reporting agencies have caused. Let us review your case and begin protecting you immediately. Reach out for a free consultation today.