What can I do when the credit bureau says I'm deceased and refuses to correct it after I disputed?

Question

I've been fighting with Experian for almost three months now because their credit bureau says I'm deceased. I first noticed it when I was denied for a mortgage refinance. I immediately sent them a dispute letter with a copy of my driver's license, my birth certificate, recent utility bills, my Social Security card, and even a letter from my employer confirming I'm currently employed. Experian sent back a letter saying they completed their investigation and the information has been "verified as accurate." How can they verify that I'm dead when I sent them five different documents proving I'm alive? I called their customer service line and the representative told me there's nothing more they can do and that I should "try disputing again in a few months." Meanwhile, I can't refinance my house, I was just denied for a car loan, and I'm worried about what else is being affected. What legal options do I have when the credit bureau says I'm deceased and simply refuses to acknowledge reality?

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

When a credit bureau says you're deceased and refuses to correct the error even after you've provided multiple forms of proof of life, they may be violating their obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, credit bureaus must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when you dispute information on your credit report. When Experian tells you they've "verified" that you're deceased despite receiving your driver's license, birth certificate, utility bills, Social Security card, and employment verification, they're demonstrating either a fundamentally flawed investigation process or willful disregard of obvious evidence. This type of response—claiming verification without explaining how they verified something that is demonstrably false—is often evidence of an automated "rubber stamp" reinvestigation that violates FCRA requirements.

Your legal rights when the credit bureau says you're deceased and won't fix it:

Right to a reasonable reinvestigation: The bureau must actually review your evidence, not just confirm with the source of the error
Right to correction: They must delete or correct information they cannot verify as accurate
Right to legal action: Under 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n and 1681o, you can sue for negligent or willful non-compliance
Right to damages: You may recover actual damages (lost refinance, higher rates), statutory damages, and emotional distress damages
Right to attorney fees: If you win, the credit bureau pays your legal fees under the FCRA

The suggestion to "try disputing again in a few months" is particularly problematic because it shows Experian has no intention of properly investigating your dispute. You've already provided overwhelming proof of life, and they've already taken a position. Sending the same dispute again is unlikely to produce different results. At this point, legal intervention is often the only way to force correction. We can escalate your case beyond the consumer dispute process and hold Experian accountable for maintaining false information that is destroying your financial opportunities. If you've been denied for a mortgage refinance and car loan because of this error, you have suffered concrete, quantifiable damages that may form the basis of a strong FCRA claim. Contact us immediately with copies of your dispute submissions, Experian's "verified" response, and any denial letters you've received. We'll evaluate your case for free, and if we take your case, you pay nothing unless we win. The credit bureau that says you're deceased may soon have to explain to a federal judge how they verified that someone is dead when that person is standing in court, very much alive.