A shocking credit report mistake left one Rosenberg woman fighting to prove she was still alive.
Jacqueline Laforcade, 66, discovered that Experian had mistakenly listed her as deceased, causing her to be denied credit applications.
“It was very frustrating because I couldn’t get what I needed,” Laforcade said.
The issue began on December 11, when Laforcade applied for a 0% interest credit card while filing her taxes. To her surprise, her application was denied, despite her typically high credit score of over 800.
After investigating, she found out that while applying for a student loan on behalf of her nephew, a loan company mistakenly marked her as deceased instead of disabled. This error was then reported to Experian, which flagged her credit file as deceased.
Laforcade attempted to contact Experian for days but never got a response. Frustrated, she reached out to a local news station for help.
“Once they got involved, a representative from Experian called us the same day,” she said. “It was fixed in just a few hours.”
How to Fix a Mistaken Deceased Status on Your Credit Report
According to Experian, if you’re mistakenly reported as deceased, you must mail a letter with:
- Your full name
- Current mailing address
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- A statement confirming you are not deceased
Laforcade said she followed these steps but never received a response.
There is also a chance that the Social Security Administration (SSA) incorrectly lists someone as deceased, which happens to nearly 15,000 people annually. If this occurs, individuals must contact the SSA directly to correct the error.
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