Have I done everything I should?

[Anonymous]

My ex-husband and I divorced in 1998, I am now remarried with a different last name.  He is now married  to a woman with the same first name as me so now she has the exact same name I had when I was married to him.  Can you see where the trouble begins?

So, I pull my credit report yesterday and find that there are 7 collection accounts on my experian report and 1 collection account on TU and 1 also on Equifax.  I do my own "investigation" and find out that Experian has added my ex-husband's new wife's collection accounts to my report because we have similar names.  Fine, but we don't have similar date of births or social security numbers.  I contacted Experian and have disputed these collections over the phone.

Now comes the hard part.  I still had one common collection on all three of my reports and I knew it was not my bill.  I called the Collection Agency to find out what information they had and sure enough it was my date of birth and my social security number.  I then called the original creditor (a medical clinic) to find out what in the world was going on and to see if the New Wife was using my social security number.  Turns out the bill was for her son and when she gave the billing clerk her name they pulled up MY old information instead and added the bill onto my account.  The credit clerk at the clinic was very nice and said they would get it fixed with the Collection Agency.  Meanwhile I have contacted all three CRA's to dispute this collection account.  I have worked very hard to build and groom my credit and it just makes me sick to think that somthing like this can keep me from getting the best intrest rates when I refinance my house.  Have I done everything I can do to correct these mistakes?  Is there anything else I can do to make sure these inaccuracies are removed? 

[Anonymous]

Oh my, what a mess.  I have a common name and I've gone to the doctor where they've pulled the wrong patient's chart, and the pharmacy where they've given me someone else's meds.  I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to deal with mistaken identity on your credit reports.  It sounds like you've done what you need to.  I'd keep a close watch and get the updated reports to make sure it's been cleaned up. You can't trust even "nice people" to take care of your business with the collection agencies.

[Anonymous]

See Noah's response on the "merged credit files" thread if you haven't read it already.

[Anonymous]

Mixing up information belonging to two people is serious stuff and really needs to be addressed by higher authorities, in my opinion, particularly when it comes to credit issues among others.  I have an extremely common name, both first and last and then combined as well.  One of my reports has several reported names.  Several exactly the same #23896 Jane Doe   #489278 Jane Doe   #234 Jane A. Doe   #98797 Jane A Doe.  There's like 10-15 total all with different identification numbers.  I have addressed this with the CB via mail.  I haven't heard anything back as of this date. 

I was almost arrested (nearly 20 years ago) because of an "identity mix-up" so I definitely know where you are coming from.  The deputy came to my place of work and asked for me.  After he found who he was looking for (or thought he did), he told me I was under arrest and explained why.  I broke down in tears and was in shock, flabbergasted and didn't know what to say.  All of a sudden, I just started wailing "This is impossible!!!  I've never had a checking account in my life!!!"  I was only 18 at the time and hadn't bothered getting a checking account.  Come to find out, it was Jane R. Doe who I went to school with and who was a couple of years older than me and I am Jane A. Doe. 

At first, I don't think he believed me but I was adamant about it - rightfully so.  A simple viewing of my Social Security card, driver's license and a couple of phone calls on his part confirmed that I was NOT the gal he was looking for.  Had he not been able to obtain additional information and so quickly, I would have been up the creek, temporarily anyway, for something in which I had absolutely no involvement.  Something that still puzzles me to this day though is how I got confused with her and how they found my workplace?!?!?   She and I barely knew one another, just in passing, and she had none of my personal information to my knowledge.

All of the identity mix up stuff is pretty scary when you stop and really think about it - in many more ways than one.

[Anonymous]

HouseHunter, that is very frightening indeed.  I have an update on my problem, 3 of the accounts have been deleted. 

[Anonymous]

Great!  You're halfway there.  Good luck.