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If Someone Else's Data Ruined Your Credit, We Can Help! Mixed Credit Report Lawyers Are Your Key to a Full Recovery
If you’ve newly applied for a job, mortgage, auto financing, credit card, rental, insurance, government benefit, or other financial prospect only to be rejected due to red flags in your credit profile, you may be the victim of a mixed credit report. Most people only learn about mixed credit reports once their life has been inadvertently thrown into turmoil by this type of consumer data mishap.
This usually means that you’ve gone from never knowing what a mixed credit report lawyer is to desperately researching “what to do when there’s someone else’s name on my credit report” or “who can help if my credit report mixed me up with someone else?” Though this discovery is alarming, you’re in the right place to find answers, understanding, and help.
As a nationwide consumer protection law firm with seventy-five years of combined experience, the team of skilled lawyers at Consumer Attorneys has seen, heard, and handled every harmful scenario imaginable due to mixed credit reports. We have helped thousands of people recover their reputation, financial health, and emotional well-being after these mistakes caused endless, unwarranted harm.
I’ll explain what mixed credit reports are, how they happen, what your rights are, what you can do to repair the damage, how a lawyer can help, and how to get compensation. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about how to overcome the threat posed by mixed credit reports and thrive.
Why is Someone Else’s Information Listed on My Credit Report?
When you have that moment of realizing that “someone else’s name is on my credit report,” it is extremely unsettling. You may assume that a wrong name on your credit report means that you’re the victim of identity fraud, but another common cause of this scenario is a mixed credit report.
Our Best Stories on Mixed Credit Reports
A Mix-up Times Two
$140,000.00 win
Our client sought a line of credit, anticipating a smooth approval process since he was financially solid. Shocked to be denied, he discovered that Equifax and Experian wrongfully reported a delinquent Citi account as his and had mixed his data with data from two other consumers with similar names. He disputed the errors, only to be denied a car loan a few years later. Despite filing disputes and complaints, no meaningful effort was made to correct the problems, and his credit score tanked. We helped him completely recover and collect sizeable settlements.
Credit History Erased and Replaced
FS, from MD
After several incidents in which FS was told that his accounts couldn’t be located or didn’t exist, including his credit reports, he discovered that Equifax had been mixing his data into his sister’s file. By effectively erasing him from the credit reporting world, FS was denied multiple opportunities and suffered financial and emotional harm. With our help, he negotiated a very nice cash settlement, got the errors corrected, and got on with his life.
Sibling Data Debacle
EC, from FL
EC learned through denials that his credit files at Equifax and TransUnion were mixed with his brother’s. During the first denial, his Equifax credit report showed a mortgage account in his name, though he’d never applied for one. Later, EC learned that his Equifax and TransUnion credit reports still contained this false mortgage data, plus erroneous data about a purchase loan for a pick-up truck, both of which were his brother’s, who has a similar name. Plus, EC’s credit inquiries dropped his brother’s credit score. With our help, EC got the mix-up fixed and a nice settlement check!
A Mix-Up After Tragedy
SE, from Utah
SE had a perfect payment history until Synchrony and TransUnion reported his adult son's credit account as being his, but he and his son worked together to dispute the mix-up. Soon after, his son died in an accident, and SE notified Synchrony. Despite having already disputed the wrongful reporting and having notified them of his son’s passing, SE was shocked to learn that the error wasn’t properly investigated or corrected, causing SE’s credit score to drop 200 points for non-payment. We lead SE to a complete resolution, including significant settlements with both defendants.
Home Dreams Dashed
KY, from Texas
KY and her husband wanted to refinance their mortgage, but she was approved at a much higher interest rate than expected. When she checked her credit reports, KY discovered multiple accounts that did not belong to her and learned that Experian mixed her file with her brother’s. Feeling overwhelmed, KY gave up on refinancing her home, then paid off other debts and hoped her credit score would bounce back soon. But her credit score dropped again when another thirteen erroneous accounts were reported. After failing to correct the problem alone, she contacted us to get on the path to recovery!
What Does Mixed Credit Report Mean?
“Wait, my credit report is mixed with someone’s?” Yes. As the name implies, a mixed credit report is one that mistakenly contains information belonging to more than one person. Specifically, it is a credit report that contains information belonging to different, unaffiliated people. It is also the type of data reporting error that impacts a person’s credit profile, credit score, and creditworthiness.
As you likely know, in our consumer economy, many of the biggest moments of our lives are driven by our ability to access credit or our perception of being financially stable. This is why decisions about approving a loan, mortgage, credit card, auto financing, rental, insurance, benefit, or employment application hinge on how a financial institution perceives us from a risk standpoint. Credit reports are essentially financial risk assessment profiles, complete with a credit score that purports to encapsulate our creditworthiness symbolically by assigning each of us a number ranging from 300-850.
Three multi-billion dollar nationwide companies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) generate most of the credit profiles that people are familiar with. Because of their size and their dominance in the consumer data industry, these three companies are referred to as credit bureaus.
Some credit reports may rightfully reference another person, such as when two people hold a mortgage or other loan together. However, if the information being reported in your credit profile is wholly unaffiliated with you from a financial perspective, mixed data may be present. This type of error is also referred to as a co-mingled credit report or credit profile.
How Do Credit Reports Become Mixed or Merged?
To understand how a mixed credit report happens, it helps to be reminded of how credit reports are generated.
Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs)
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is federal legislation that, along with other federal and state laws, regulates the consumer data industry. Under the FCRA, the credit bureaus are known as consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) because they are in the business of gathering, reviewing, and compiling consumer information into credit reports. There are actually several dozen CRAs, but the credit bureaus are the largest and most often utilized.
Data Furnishers and Third Parties
The CRAs get their data by buying it from other companies. They buy information from companies that you have a direct relationship with, such as credit card companies, service providers, banks, lenders, mortgage providers, and similar. Because the latter furnish or provide data to the CRAs, they are known as data furnishers.
The CRAs also buy information from third-party companies that scan and gather data from municipal records (local, county, state), court records (civil and criminal), and other databases.
Mixed Credit Files
The vast majority of the data handling process is done using algorithms. This means that CRAs, data furnishers, and third-party suppliers all use software platforms and coding specially written to seek out, gather, review, and compile data about an individual to generate a credit report. You can imagine that with such a vast network of data streams at play, there is tremendous opportunity for error.
Mixed credit files are only one among many errors that happen, but they are common. Data streams from one individual are inadvertently pulled into the credit profile of a different, unaffiliated person. As a result, the algorithms that compute credit scores are also affected, causing erroneous credit scores to be generated based on the wrongful information in the report.
Often, superficial similarities between people cause the information to become co-mingled. For instance, the same birthdate, the same or similar name, or an input error that accidentally links two people. However, significantly, these superficial similarities are almost always easily distinguishable with even a basic level of scrutiny. In other words, if the credit bureaus bothered to have meaningful review protocols in place, especially with a human review component, most of these errors would be weeded out quickly and would never surface in the wrong credit report.
Can I Remove This Incorrect Information From My Credit Report?
Yes. The law protects your right to accurate reporting of your consumer data in a credit report or other consumer report. And it also obligates the companies that engage in this type of reporting to investigate and correct errors. Working with a credit report lawyer helps ensure success in getting any data that does not, in fact, belong to you removed from your credit profile.
How a Lawyer Can Help When Your Credit Report is Mixed with Someone Else’s
Consumer protection lawyers, also known as mixed credit report lawyers, fight credit bureaus to fix your mixed credit profile, get you compensation for your harm, and get you back on track. So, when you’re wondering, “What should I do if I have a mixed credit file,” the answer is- contact a credit report lawyer who can help you in a number of ways, such as:
Knowing the laws and the credit bureau dispute process. The area of consumer data is highly regulated at the federal and state levels. A consumer protection lawyer is well-versed in how to navigate this complex legal landscape so they can protect your rights and enforce the CRA’s legal obligations. Importantly, state laws differ in some key ways when it comes to consumer data and credit reporting. Working with a lawyer like those at Consumer Attorneys who practice nationwide and know the laws in your state is critical.
In addition, lawyers like ours have helped so many consumers with mixed credit files and other credit reporting problems that we know the dispute process for CRAs, including all three credit bureaus, from the inside out.
- Providing legal advice and guidance. The process of disputing mixed data can be exhausting, disheartening, and stressful. Stalls, delays, roadblocks, shoddy, ineffective investigations, and failure to correct errors are common. A skilled and knowledgeable lawyer will anticipate and navigate these unscrupulous tactics with speed, efficiency, and authority.
- Filing a lawsuit on your behalf. If the CRA fails to properly and timely investigate or correct your mixed reporting errors, a lawsuit is generally the only approach that brings resolution. By working with a consumer protection lawyer to dispute the errors, you’ll know if and when it’s time to file a lawsuit. Your lawyer will represent you through the trial, seeking resolution and compensation.
- Negotiating a settlement. At any point after a lawsuit is commenced, your consumer protection lawyer can negotiate a settlement with the CRA. In fact, with years of experience on their side, a skilled lawyer knows not only what types of compensation you can seek under the law but also when and how to optimize your chances of a very successful outcome.
What You Need to Know Before Contacting a Lawyer
Before you call or contact a consumer protection lawyer, such as those at Consumer Attorneys, it is helpful for you to know:
- Why you were rejected or denied from the specific opportunity. You have a legal right to know the reason for the adverse decision.
- Which precise information in your credit profile was used to make that decision. You have a legal right to be directed to the specific data in your profile that was determinative.
- Whether any of the information in your credit profile is inaccurate, misleading, or false. You have a legal right to receive a free copy of the credit report upon which the decision was based. Review the information that was used to deny you the opportunity in question. Is it accurate? Is it your data? Does something about it seem off or unfair? Complete a thorough review and identify any questionable entries. Look for wrong spellings, dates, account holder name and gender, company names, locations, account numbers, etc. Errors can show up in any of the details.
You don’t need to catalog all of the ways you’ve been harmed before calling a consumer protection lawyer. It’s enough to know that you’ve been harmed by being denied a financial or other opportunity due to errors in your credit report. We’ll help sort out the details. As we explore, you may learn that these errors have been harming you for years.
At Consumer Attorneys, a consultation with one of our lawyers is always free. We’re here to listen, discuss, sort, plan, and guide you to recovery.
Who Will Your Lawyer Sue for a Mixed Credit Report?
Under the FCRA, you have a right to the accuracy of information with respect to what’s included in your credit history. The CRAs, such as the credit bureaus, have an obligation to meet this legal standard of accuracy by implementing adequate procedures and protocols. Having your data co-mingled with someone else’s data into a single mixed credit file constitutes a failure to meet this regulatory standard.
Accordingly, the FCRA gives you the right to sue the CRA (and any legally implicated data furnisher or third party) for creating the problem, failing to catch the mix-up, and reporting the wrongful information. Best of all, the FCRA makes the companies you sue pay for your legal bills! This is because it would be patently unfair to make you pay for the legal services required to fix mixed credit errors that you didn’t cause in a report that you didn’t create. They caused the problem, they should pay to fix it!
Are There Penalties For Credit Bureaus or Creditors Putting the Wrong Name On My Report?
There are no criminal penalties, but there are regulatory penalties that can be pursued against credit bureaus, other CRAs, third parties, and data furnishers for wrongful reporting. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission will sanction entities that engage in an egregious, prolonged, or especially harmful failure to meet the reporting standards established under the FCRA.
As a consumer, your ability to pursue error correction and compensation is the best recourse for holding these companies accountable.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Get From a Mixed Credit Report Lawsuit?
When you’ve been harmed by co-mingled data, under the FCRA and other state and federal regulations, you can sue for compensation.
- Compensation for actual harm. This is known as “actual” or “compensatory” damages. It means that if you have sustained any kind of financial or emotional harm as a result of credit reporting errors, you have the right to be made whole again. For instance, if you are denied a job due to mixed credit errors and remain unemployed for three months, miss rental payments, go to collections, face repossessions, or other harms as a result, you can sue for all of the financial damages you sustained.
- Compensation as punishment. These are called “punitive damages” because they are meant to “punish” or incentivize the wrongdoer into making systemic improvements to prevent similar harm going forward.
And you are entitled to have the errors corrected!
Mixed Credit Report Lawyers Fees
From the first phone call until the end of the lawsuit, you will never owe us a single dollar out-of-pocket.
As discussed above, under the FCRA, you have the legal right to file a lawsuit against a CRA, data furnisher, or other company for reporting errors in your credit profile due to co-mingled information. And you have the right to pursue this lawsuit with a highly reputable lawyer without having to pay any amount of money out-of-pocket. To ensure this, the FCRA makes the companies you sue pay all of your lawyer’s costs and fees if you win so that you don’t have to. If the lawsuit isn’t successful, you still owe our us nothing because we just absorb the loss.
We also know that you won’t know if you need a lawyer until you talk to a lawyer, so at Consumer Attorneys, our consultations are free, too.
Trust Our Lawyers
At Consumer Attorneys, we are a nationwide team of highly skilled and experienced lawyers who are active litigators and passionate advocates on behalf of consumers. With over seventy-five years of combined experience, our lawyers are dedicated to protecting and defending consumer rights in an economy that strongly favors corporate profit over hardworking people.
We pride ourselves on being educated, ethical, and empathetic lawyers who care about the problems that plague the consumer data industry because we genuinely care about our clients.
When you suffer rejection or denial due to mixed credit report errors, trust our lawyers to get you back to good. It’s why we’re here.
Contact Us If Someone Else’s Data is in Your Credit Report
With no out-of-pocket cost to you, there is nothing to lose in discussing your mixed credit report error with one of the consumer protection lawyers at Consumer Attorneys today!
There are several ways to reach us: call (+1-877-615-1725), email (info@consumerattorneys.com), fill out the online intake form, or use the virtual chat option to speak with us today.
From coast to coast, we’re always right where you need us to be.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a mixed credit file?
A mixed credit report contains co-mingled data belonging to two unaffiliated individuals. Credit reports are created using data streams from a wide range of companies, service providers, municipal records, etc. Mixed credit reports (often referred to as Mixed Files) are usually caused by two scenarios. First, sometimes input errors occur when data is entered into an electronic file. These errors cause the data from two individuals with similar identifying characteristics (name, birth date, address, social security number, etc.) to become co-mingled into a single credit report. Second, the software and algorithms credit reporting agencies (CRAs) use to gather data electronically sometimes fail to adequately differentiate between distinct individuals. By law, CRAs are responsible for following "reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy."
However, these types of mixed credit files happen frequently.
However, these types of mixed credit files happen frequently.
How to fix a mixed credit file?
To fix a mixed credit file, you need to do two things. First, protect yourself legally by contacting an experienced consumer protection attorney who can review your case and guide you through the process of working with credit reporting agencies (CRAs) and data-furnishing companies to restore your credit profile. At Consumer Attorneys, we will review your situation, explain your rights under the law, and advise you on the most effective path for fixing the errors. Second, dispute the credit report by contacting the CRAs (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) and any companies that provided the incorrect data. Follow the procedures outlined by those companies and provide all necessary documentation.
Follow up with your attorney or contact one if you haven't already done so. Delays, inadequate investigations, and refusals to appropriately amend reports can have outsized consequences, so protect yourself.
Follow up with your attorney or contact one if you haven't already done so. Delays, inadequate investigations, and refusals to appropriately amend reports can have outsized consequences, so protect yourself.
How often are credit reports mixed?
Consumer credit reports contain misleading, false, or inaccurate information frequently. In fact, a study by an independent, non-profit consumer advocacy organization found that up to one-third of Americans have discovered errors in a credit report.
Of course, not all errors result from co-mingled data from two different, unaffiliated individuals, but mixed reports are a regularly occurring problem within the consumer data industry.
What is a mixed file credit report law suit?
A mixed credit report lawsuit is a legal action taken by a consumer who has suffered harm due to a mixed credit report. When co-mingled data from two individuals appears in one person's credit report, it can have devastating financial consequences. Mixed credit reports can lead to things like loan denials (mortgages, auto financing, home equity, lines of credit), unfair or burdensome loan terms (exceptionally high interest rates), rental denials (residential or commercial rentals, vacation rentals), and employment disruption (application denial, job loss).
Mixed credit report lawsuits are necessary when credit reporting agencies (CRAs) fail to timely or adequately correct the misleading, false, or inaccurate information in a mixed credit file. When this happens, the consequences can financially and emotionally harm consumers and their dependents.
The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys have successfully helped thousands of people get their lives back when a mixed credit report shows up. Importantly, we only get paid if you win, and all our attorneys’ fees and costs are paid by the companies we sue.
Mixed credit report lawsuits are necessary when credit reporting agencies (CRAs) fail to timely or adequately correct the misleading, false, or inaccurate information in a mixed credit file. When this happens, the consequences can financially and emotionally harm consumers and their dependents.
The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys have successfully helped thousands of people get their lives back when a mixed credit report shows up. Importantly, we only get paid if you win, and all our attorneys’ fees and costs are paid by the companies we sue.
Can I dispute a credit report error without an attorney?
Yes, a consumer can dispute a credit report error without an attorney, though it is not advisable. Credit reporting agencies (CRAs), like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, provide information to consumers about the process for disputing credit report errors. By law, the companies involved in buying and selling consumer credit data are obligated to investigate and respond to consumer disputes within a certain time. However, delays, roadblocks, and insufficient investigations regularly lead to refusals to correct erroneous credit reports.
Having an attorney can make a critical difference. When you've suffered financial and emotional harm from false data and long delays, an attorney can help restore your life and compensate you for the damages. The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys have navigated these disputes thousands of times, and all our attorneys’ fees and costs are paid by the companies we sue.
Having an attorney can make a critical difference. When you've suffered financial and emotional harm from false data and long delays, an attorney can help restore your life and compensate you for the damages. The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys have navigated these disputes thousands of times, and all our attorneys’ fees and costs are paid by the companies we sue.
How long does it take to correct credit report?
By law, credit reporting agencies (CRAs) like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are supposed to resolve disputes and correct errors within statutorily prescribed time frames. For instance, CRAs have between thirty and forty-five days to investigate disputes, depending on whether the error was discovered during a credit check for employment or a loan or whether it was simply spotted during a routine review by the consumer.
However, these time constraints are frequently not adhered to. And even when investigations are completed in a timely manner, they are frequently inadequate, incomplete, or ineffective. This typically leads to denying the correction request, leaving the consumer in a dire financial situation.
Hiring a skilled and experienced attorney, such as one of our team members at Consumer Attorneys, is the best way to avoid unnecessary delays and get back to good.
However, these time constraints are frequently not adhered to. And even when investigations are completed in a timely manner, they are frequently inadequate, incomplete, or ineffective. This typically leads to denying the correction request, leaving the consumer in a dire financial situation.
Hiring a skilled and experienced attorney, such as one of our team members at Consumer Attorneys, is the best way to avoid unnecessary delays and get back to good.
What is the fastest way to dispute mixed credit report?
The fastest way to dispute a mixed credit report is not necessarily the best way. It is likely the fastest to use the online platforms provided by the three largest and most used national credit reporting agencies (CRAs)- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. However, the best way to dispute your credit report is in writing. Most importantly, utilizing the online dispute platform requires you to agree to the terms and conditions of the dispute, which, not surprisingly, is not in your favor. For instance, you may have to agree to arbitration. Second, you can stay organized, efficient, and consistent by keeping track of everything in a document that you can edit, update, and print as needed. Sign and date everything and send it via certified mail, maintaining records of every letter and document sent.
By law, CRAs have thirty days to investigate disputes identified when a credit report is requested as part of a transaction, such as a mortgage or loan application. This period can be extended by fifteen days if supporting information is submitted at a later date. For this reason, it is essential to be fully prepared at the time of the initial complaint. CRAs also have five days to notify you of the results post-investigation. And, if you are disputing an error discovered while reviewing your free annual credit report, the CRAs have an extended period of forty-five days for the investigation. However, if your credit report has been mixed, you likely already have a claim against the consumer reporting agency for mixing your information in the first place. You should contact an attorney, even if the information is fixed following your dispute.
The best bet to ward off unnecessary delays and insufficient investigations is to let one of the attorneys at Consumer Attorneys guide you through the process before you even put anything in the mail.
By law, CRAs have thirty days to investigate disputes identified when a credit report is requested as part of a transaction, such as a mortgage or loan application. This period can be extended by fifteen days if supporting information is submitted at a later date. For this reason, it is essential to be fully prepared at the time of the initial complaint. CRAs also have five days to notify you of the results post-investigation. And, if you are disputing an error discovered while reviewing your free annual credit report, the CRAs have an extended period of forty-five days for the investigation. However, if your credit report has been mixed, you likely already have a claim against the consumer reporting agency for mixing your information in the first place. You should contact an attorney, even if the information is fixed following your dispute.
The best bet to ward off unnecessary delays and insufficient investigations is to let one of the attorneys at Consumer Attorneys guide you through the process before you even put anything in the mail.
Practice Areas
Our experienced background check error attorneys help you fight back when you lose out on opportunities due to inaccurate, misleading, or false information in a background check report or tenant screening report. This includes things like false criminal information, misreporting the classification of charges, duplicate criminal entries, failing to indicate dropped charges, and reporting expunged/sealed convictions. Background check errors lead to things like being rejected as a new hire, denied a promotion, blocked from a security clearance, fired from a current job, or denied rental opportunities. They're a problem in the ride-share, store shopper, and personal shopper industries. See more
Our experienced credit report error attorneys help you fight back when you lose out on opportunities due to inaccurate, misleading, or false information in a credit report or other consumer report. This includes common mistakes like clerical errors, mixed credit reports, false deceased designations, and reporting old information (like a bankruptcy). Credit reporting errors lead to things like being denied a mortgage, refinancing, personal loan, or car loan; losing out on a job, apartment, or vacation rental; being rejected for insurance, lines of credit, or store cards; or being barred from getting the best interest rates and loan terms. See more
Our experienced identity theft attorneys help you fight back against the wide variety of consumer reporting mistakes that happen following identity theft. While you may be able to pursue criminal charges against identity thieves, you are frequently left without options for cleaning up your financial accounts and credit reports. If you’ve filed notices, disputed unauthorized activity, and challenged false loans and fraudulent accounts, but financial institutions and credit bureaus keep including wrongful data in your consumer reports, there are laws that protect you. Some legal options are time-sensitive, so it is important to act quickly to enforce your rights. See more
Our experienced debt collection harassment attorneys help you fight back against debt collectors and debt collection agencies who (1) aggressively pursue you for payments on personal, medical, or household debts based on misleading, inaccurate, or false information, (2) pursue you for debts in a manner that is in direct defiance of the clearly established debt collection laws, (3) attempt to collect debts on medical bills arising out of covered workers' compensation or Medicaid claims, or (4) use intimidation tactics like falsely implying that a debt must be paid by you immediately, in contradiction to the facts and the law. See more
Our experienced employment discrimination attorneys help you fight back against illegal treatment at your workplace. Employment discrimination is targeting or preferring employees based on their status as a member of a protected group (or “class”) rather than their work performance, talent, or experience. Protected classes include categories such as age, race, sex, gender, disability, marital status, military status (including veteran status), pregnancy, national origin or ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. Employment discrimination can be direct (targeted actions or preferences) or indirect (policies with an unfair impact on one class). Knowing what counts as discrimination involves a nuanced factual and legal analysis. See more
Our experienced labor and employment dispute attorneys help you fight back against workplace exploitation and disputes that arise out of your rights as an employee. This includes employee abuses such as unpaid or underpaid minimum wages, failing to pay overtime, forcing employees to work in unsafe conditions, refusing meal or rest breaks, ignoring workplace health and safety standards, unfairly denying family and medical leave, and more. While exploitative and illegal labor practices occur in every industry, some of the highest incidences of overtime and minimum wage disputes occur in food service, retail, home care, janitorial services, and construction. See more
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