Credit bureau says I'm dead but I'm alive, what are my rights?

Question

This is beyond frustrating. One of the credit bureaus has me listed as deceased, and when I called to dispute it, the customer service rep basically told me to mail in documents and wait. Wait for what? I'm alive right now, I need credit right now, and I can't afford to sit around for a month while they "investigate" whether I'm actually dead or not. This error has already cost me a loan approval, and I'm worried it's going to keep spreading to my other accounts. Do I have any legal rights here? Can I force them to fix this faster? And if they've already damaged my credit and my ability to get financing, can I hold them accountable?

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

You absolutely have legal rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and a credit bureau's failure to quickly correct an error as severe as marking you as deceased can constitute a violation of their duty to maintain maximum possible accuracy. When a credit bureau receives clear evidence that you are alive, they cannot simply drag their feet through a standard 30-day investigation while your financial life remains frozen.

Your rights under the FCRA include:

The right to dispute inaccurate information and have it investigated promptly
The right to have inaccurate information corrected or deleted
The right to have corrected reports sent to anyone who received the false report
The right to sue if the credit bureau acts negligently or willfully violates your rights
The right to recover actual damages, statutory damages, and attorney's fees if you win

If the credit bureau has already caused you harm, denied credit, frozen accounts, damaged your credit score, or created financial losses, you may be entitled to compensation. The law doesn't require you to simply accept a month-long wait while your life is on hold. We help clients in these situations demand immediate action from credit bureaus and, when necessary, file lawsuits to force correction and recover damages. If the bureau's error has already cost you opportunities or caused financial harm, contact us for a free consultation. We can evaluate your case and help you understand your legal options for holding the credit bureau accountable.