My SSN Shows Someone Else's Information on My Credit Report

You might not even know there's a problem until you apply for new financing and get denied -- then your lender shows you your credit report and you realize there's information on the report that doesn't belong to you. Although this is legitimate cause for concern and an issue that definitely requires resolution, most of the time, the reasons your Social Security number reveals information that's not yours on a credit report are benign.

Typographical Errors

Usually, when your Social Security number provides data that isn't yours on a credit report, usually it's because of a simple typographical error. Credit scores use a combination of your Social Security number and name, and sometimes, if your name is very similar to someone else's, credit bureaus don't enter the data correctly. That can cause big mix ups about which report should hold information about payments, bankruptcies, opening credit lines and similar data. Name mix-ups frequently happen if you're named after a family member -- for instance, if you're John P. Jacob Jr. instead of John P. Jacob Sr. Sometimes creditors also make mistakes when they're reporting debtors. For instance, they might type "Hebert" as a last name instead of "Herbert."

Joint Accounts

Another reason someone else's activity may appear on your credit report is if you are named as a joint account holder. For example, if you are named on your husband's credit card account, delinquencies on that account may show up on both your credit report and your husband's, because you're legally responsible for the debt.

Fraud

Fraud or identity theft probably are the most serious reasons why your Social Security number may yield someone else's activity on your credit report. If this is the problem, you likely will have other signs that fraud or identity theft are happening. For instance, you may have creditors and lenders with whom you are not associated contacting you about due balances, or you may get confirmations for purchases by mail or email.

What You Can Do

Typographical errors that lead to credit report problems aren't easy to stop, but you might be able to minimize them by always spelling your name out when talking to a representative with the military phonetic alphabet -- for example, using "romeo" for the letter "R." Keeping accounts in your own name is the obvious way to eliminate joint account issues, although this sometimes isn't easy when you are in a committed relationship.

If you suspect you are a victim of fraud or identity theft, start by filing an official report with your police department. Then report the problem to the Federal Trade Commission. Also report the issue to at least one of the three major credit bureaus -- TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. The bureau you report to will contact the other two. Other agencies that should get reports include your creditors and lenders, as well as your banks. If you can prove identity theft or fraud, you may have to go to the Social Security Administration and get a new Social Security number. There is no charge to do this, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.