For Whom The Bell Tolls

Hey Paul!

I really really really need your help on this one.  Its been a long road restoring my credit and I wrote to you on September 28, 2008 regarding my split credit file.  I thought I had most of it straightend out and tonight when I pulled my credit report I had the following message:  “Transunion Credit Score and Analyis- We’re sorry. The person named on this credit file is reported as deceased, so we are unable to calculate a credit score.” 

I am a little confused and scared as I was just on the phone with Transunion yesterday!  Should I call Transunion?  or just hire a lawyer and sue them? (just joking)  Please let me know if you have any advice

Thanks again for your faithfulness

Amanda

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Hi Amanda,

If the social security number was entered correctly then it might have accidentally been entered as deceased by one of your creditors.  I’d call Trans Union to tell them you’re alive and ask which furnisher (name and address) has reported the erroneous death. 

If you find that it was entered into the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File (DMF) then it would be a much bigger issue.  Approximately 1,100 people per month are accidentally ‘killed’ by having their number falsely entered into the database.  This would soon result in cancellation of credit cards, health insurance, IRS refusal to accept tax returns, and on and on.

No worries.  If it is a bigger issue then the CRA is still liable for the error.  And that reminds me of a story.

A woman named Sandra Cortez tried to purchase a car at an auto dealership and her credit report falsely listed an ‘OFAC Alert’.  According to treas.gov/ofac, the OFAC list contains names of “terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States”.

Although it was clear she wasn’t the Sandra Cortes Quintero twenty-seven years her junior and the suspected narcotics trafficker from Cali, Columbia; nevertheless, the police were called to the dealership.

Ms. Cortez disputed the information to no avail with Trans Union several times.  Trans Union maintained that another company named Accuity provided the OFAC information and Trans Union’s position was it wasn’t liable.  A federal jury in Philly awarded Ms. Cortez $800,000 in actual and punitive damages.

Thanks for the questions and I’d bet the attorneys at Naca.net or MyFairCredit.com would be happy to help you if you aren’t soon resurrected.

Paul