HELP! Please! Information from Public Records

[jj10939]

I have been searching google for over an hour trying to find a way to correct information being pulled from public records.  Long story short:  I live in MN and there is someone in the state of Texas with the same name as me and somehow our files are crossed.  I opened a checking account and part of the application process was to verify questions pulled from public record.

When I talked to the credit analyst, I told her all about how my record was crossed with someone else's and when she went in and looked at my application, she saw that and agreed with me.

My question:  How do I correct this?  No one seems to know.  Everyone I talk to just keeps telling me that it will be hard to do because those types of questions come from so many different sources weather it be from the DMV or whatever..

Just to clarify, the types of questions I am talking about are similar to:  "Our records indicate that you currently own or have owned one of the following vehicles:  1) Dodge Charger 2) Chrysler 300 3) I do not own or am associated with any of these vehicles. 

Please if anyone can help me, I would really appreciate it!

Thank you so much!

[GregB]

I think the best place to start is by pulling your credit reports from all three CRAs. You can pull them for free once a year from annualcreditreport.com.

Make sure all the data is correct. I think you will find there are accounts on there that are not yours and those tie to the vehicles you see.

If there are still problems after cleaning up your Credit Reports then we will have to go further.

[steve23111]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but more often than not those ID verification questions are coming off a profile from Lexis Nexis. You can order a copy of your Lexis Nexis Personal Report which should let you identify the specific information that's bad. Lexis Nexis has their own dispute resolution process which should allow you to get it cleared up, though I have no idea what's involved. The Lexis Nexis web site does have some dispute information. You may want to start there:

https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/

https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/dispute.jsp

Good luck!

[GregB]

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@steve23111 wrote:

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but more often than not those ID verification questions are coming off a profile from Lexis Nexis. You can order a copy of your Lexis Nexis Personal Report which should let you identify the specific information that's bad. Lexis Nexis has their own dispute resolution process which should allow you to get it cleared up, though I have no idea what's involved. The Lexis Nexis web site does have some dispute information. You may want to start there:

https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/

https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/dispute.jsp

Good luck!

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You are probably completely correct.

That was the next step that I was referring to in my post about "going further". I have learned that Lexis Nexis collects information from a number of sources and if you don't fix errors on your CRs then it will just come back.

[RobertEG]

I agree.  You seem to have the common problem of mismatch of reported information with the incorrect consumer credit file.

CRAs use a combination of matching criteria to match incoming information with the proper credit file.  Often, the matching criteria are clear, such as inclusion of both the same full name and SSN.  Mismatching such reporting is uncommon.  However, providing the incorrect SSN, no SSN, or incorrect full name, address, etc., can lead to credit file matching errors.  Something happened that caused information not related to you to have been matched with your credit file, and entered.

I recommend that you put together a list of personal identifiers unique to you, including full name, address, and SSN.  Include some documentation to support their correctness, such as current bills with your full name and matching address, and some document showing your SSN.  How would I then use this?

In my opinion, the process would not be to file a dispute.  It is very likely that the reported information was itself accurate, but not sufficient to provide proper file matching.  So the error may rest with the CRA, and not the party reporting the information, for the CRA assumptions made in their matching process.  Disputes are directed at the accuracy of reporting by the party who reported.

I would send the documentation to the CRA, identified as a request for administrative review of their actions.  I dont think there is an FCRA provision covering this.

Simply ask them to review their administrative action by comparing your personal identifiers with those they used to match the questioned reporting, and correct the mismatching.  If they conclude that there is still a match, I would request that they identify each of the matching criteria they used.

If that fails, then you have recourse under the FCRA by filing a request for all information relating to the questioned reporting.  Simply send a request for the information under the provisions of FCRA 609(a)(1), asking for the full personal identifiers provided by the reporting party.  Include with any section 609(a)(1) request the required fee of $11.00.

You should not have to resort to using the FCRA to get the information, but it is available to you as a last resort.