Your credit report says you're deceased. You're not.

Find out which bureau and which account carries the deceased notation, because the flag often starts with a single furnisher and spreads from there. Dispute it in writing with each bureau reporting it and with that furnisher, include proof of identity, and keep every response. If the notation stays, comes back, or blocks credit and employment you would otherwise have, an FCRA attorney may be worth talking to.

A false deceased flag can freeze accounts and stop applications cold. Upload your report and Credit Hound helps you see where the notation appears and what steps may be available — free.

Being wrongly marked deceased is one of the most damaging credit reporting errors there is. You do not have to untangle it alone.

Where can a false deceased notation appear?

The notation can sit in more than one place, which is why it often survives a single dispute.

In the personal information section of one or more bureau files

On an individual account, reported by a lender or servicer

On a joint account after a co-borrower or spouse died

In records that follow a Social Security number reported in error

How do you get a deceased notation removed?

Work the source and the bureaus at the same time, and keep proof of everything.

Pull all three reports and note exactly where the notation appears.

Identify the furnisher reporting it, if the flag is tied to a specific account.

Dispute in writing with each bureau and with that furnisher, including proof of identity.

Ask lenders whose accounts were frozen to reopen them once the notation is corrected.

Recheck all three reports after the investigation and save the results.

If your report is locked and you cannot pull it yourself, email support@credithound.io and we will help you get started.

When should you contact an FCRA attorney?

A wrongly reported death is serious, and the response to your dispute is what matters:

You proved you are alive and the notation is still on your report

The notation was removed and then reported again

A furnisher kept reporting the notation after being told it was wrong

The error froze accounts, blocked credit, or cost you a job or housing

Credit Hound is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. No one can promise a case will be accepted or that any particular result will follow.