My (new) American credit score says I am dead.

[Anonymous456 1]

I applied for a credit card through capital one and was declined a credit card. I've only had my SSN and been a resident for 4 months.

Today I got a letter from Capital One saying the reason I was declined is because Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax all reported me as deceased.

Has this happened to anyone else?

[Brit Abroad 166]

Sounds like you have been issued a recycled SSN. Either it's incorrectly issued by SSA, or it hasn't been cleared off the Credit Reference Agencies list of defunct SSNs.

Start with the SSA office. Ask them to verify that the SSN you have been given is correct and that your personal details attached to it are correct. Assuming this is so, ask them to print multiple copies of them out on headed stationery. Google the numbers for each of the credit reference agencies and call them, requesting the mailing address for you to send an SSN correction record. They should be able to contact the SSA and ask them to confirm and correct the credit reference tables they use.

[Rob & Monika 87]

Have you gone to Equifax and looked for yourself? I doubt it was recycled, but if it was, you would see some sort of history on their website. We had issues with various things rejecting the SSN. One place wanted a photo copy of my wife's SS Card to verify it was real.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Have you gone to Equifax and looked for yourself? I doubt it was recycled, but if it was, you would see some sort of history on their website. We had issues with various things rejecting the SSN. One place wanted a photo copy of my wife's SS Card to verify it was real.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html..exactly..they are not re-used.....

[Flames9_RN 358]

http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html..exactly..they are not re-used.....

http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html..you can do a free credit check, but with only being here for 4 months, might not be enough time to gain any type of history??

[NikLR 13,227]

Honestly, you will have ZERO credit.

Heck I have credit with experian and equifax but trans union has frozen my credit for some odd reason. I apparently have to wait for something in the mail (which thus far hasn't arrived... 20 days later) to sign in an account to make it reactivated? Such a PITA.

My credit was great in Canada so this is the most annoying issue.

[Rob L 3,811]

I noticed that Toronto Dominion has cross border banking even allowing Canadians to apply for US Credit Cards and Mortgages. That seems to indicate that there would be reporting to the US Credit Agencies and hence building a history. Does anyone have experience with cross boarder banks?

[Rob L 3,811]

correction ...cross border...Angry Boarders are never fun

[Rich and Wen 101]

The OP said that all 3 agencies reported that they were dead, not that there was no credit at all. Different problem.

To the OP: The agencies make it difficult to find a person to talk to, but with perseverance, you can get through to someone. It will not be a quick process, to fix this, but eventually, you will be able to talk to someone who can fix it for you.

Try the fraud departments, they're the problem solvers.

Sorry, I notice that I have put in a double space in there. My bad.

[NikLR 13,227]

I noticed that Toronto Dominion has cross border banking even allowing Canadians to apply for US Credit Cards and Mortgages. That seems to indicate that there would be reporting to the US Credit Agencies and hence building a history. Does anyone have experience with cross boarder banks?

I did this with my RBC account. I have a credit card through them so that's handy. They checked my Canadian credit to get the account and used the combination of that and my current employment to figure out my limit and %.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I tend to agree with whoever said start with SSA, also contact each agency afterwards to review your lack score (deadness, aliveness etc..!).

There is also a possibility that you entered the wrong number on the Capital one application or their folks entered it wrong somewhere else. SSNs aren't re-issued to other individuals once someone dies.

[Rob & Monika 87]

I noticed that Toronto Dominion has cross border banking even allowing Canadians to apply for US Credit Cards and Mortgages. That seems to indicate that there would be reporting to the US Credit Agencies and hence building a history. Does anyone have experience with cross boarder banks?

You start off as a foreigner without a SSN, so you wouldn't build your credit. Once you move you should give them your SSN I'm not sure that having a bank account does much for that anyway.

[Rob L 3,811]

You start off as a foreigner without a SSN, so you wouldn't build your credit. Once you move you should give them your SSN I'm not sure that having a bank account does much for that anyway.

I understand that my Canadian wife will not have a ssn when she crosses in the future and hence will not have a record with the big 3 credit agencies. I am thinking ahead to avoid the situation faced by many...no established credit history. Toronto Dominion and Now RBC both have cross border banking relationships and allow you to apply for a US based credit card with no ssn or us taxid. The ssn is added when available and that number is available.

Not sure how that can help the op now unless they could open a td or rbc credit card with their Canadian history....but I am guessing that they could in the right circumstances....anything to convince the agencies that rumors of the op's demise is greatly exaggerated

[Rob L 3,811]

Removing dupe post

Edited June 30, 2014 by Rob L

[Lemonslice 4,841]

If you already have an Amex card, you can also use Global Transfer or something like that... https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/

Was very easy and I got to keep my Canadian card too.

TD (banking, not credit card) was useless for me, last time I checked as it would not allow "free" transfer between an American account and a Canadian one. Maybe they got better since the last time I checked though.