Debt verification

[Battery2010]

Do the 3 credit bureaus have to remove a closed account if they can't verify that it belongs to me?

[jrwa81]

Yes, but you will need to dispute it.  Do not do it online, though.  Do it by mail and inform them of the account that you would like to dispute and your reasons for doing so.  However, ONLY file a dispute if you are 100% positive that there is an error in the reporting.  If the debt is valid and does belong to you, disputing it will only hurt you.

[dragontears]

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@Battery2010 wrote:

Do the 3 credit bureaus have to remove a closed account if they can't verify that it belongs to me?

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Well.... I think you have a misconception to what "verifying" means in regards to the CRAs. They verify information by asking the lender/creditor if the information is accurate. If the lender/creditor responds that it is accurate then the information is verified.

The only way that the CRAs can't verify the information is the creditor doesn't respond and in that case, yes they will delete the information (doesn't happen very often).

[bass_playr]

I'd like to ask, what makes you think they cannot verify the debt?  

if you spoke to the debt collector and were told there that they cannot verify it, then I would absolutely demand that they cease reporting a debt they cannot verify.  I would also at that point dispute with the CRAs--if they tell you they cannot verify it themselves but then they verify it to the bureaus, it might give rise to a right of action on your part.