I just got the shock of my life after applying for my ‘dream’ New York apartment — apparently, my credit card company has declared me dead. How do I fix this freakish fluke?

Sarah’s credit card company had mistakenly marked her as deceased. After six weeks of lawyer’s visits, doctor’s notes and gathering other documentation to prove she was alive, she found all the stress had been due to an error made by the company in recording another person’s death — someone with the same name, but a different middle initial.

While it may sound like a fluke, about 12,000Americans are mistakenly marked as deceased each year by the Social Security Administration alone, according to Consumer Litigation Associates. That means thousands of Americans could be walking around with “credit ghost” status, often without even knowing it.

How could this happen, and how common is it?

Mistakes on credit reports are shockingly common. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one in five Americans has an error on their credit report, and around 5% of people are affected by issues with their credit score that could cause them to be denied or overcharged for a loan. Most of these mistakes are mundane, like incorrect addresses, misspelled names or outdated account info. But when the error is more extreme, like being marked deceased, the fallout can be intense.

This can happen when a financial institution or government agency incorrectly reports a death to the major credit bureaus, usually because of a mix-up with someone of a similar name or Social Security number. Sometimes the mistake originates with the Social Security Administration, which maintains the Death Master File used by credit bureaus, insurers and other agencies.

Once that incorrect status hits your credit file, it can set off a domino effect that touches nearly every aspect of your financial life. You might:

• Be automatically denied for loans, credit cards or apartment applications
• Have existing credit accounts closed or frozen
• Lose access to Social Security benefits like disability payments or Medicare
• Be flagged during background checks for employment or insurance
• Face delays in accessing your bank accounts or other essential services

These kinds of disruptions can be financially and emotionally overwhelming, and they typically require significant effort and documentation to fix.

How you can avoid becoming a statistic

Because this could happen to anyone at any time, the most you can do is check your status now to avoid finding out at an inopportune moment. Here’s what you can do:

• Get copies of your credit reports. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to access free reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Look for phrases like “deceased,” “consumer reported as deceased,” or “credit file frozen.”
• Identify where the error occurred. If only one bureau lists you as deceased, it may be due to a creditor reporting incorrect data. If multiple reports show the error, it may stem from the SSA.
• Contact the source of the error. Call the creditor or agency directly. For SSA errors, visit your local SSA office with your ID, Social Security card, and birth certificate.
• Provide proof of identity and life. You may need to submit notarized affidavits, a letter from a doctor or employer, or government documents verifying you’re alive.
• Notify banks and lenders. Once the issue is resolved, inform your financial institutions so they can reopen or unfreeze any affected accounts.
• Monitor your credit going forward. Consider using a credit monitoring service for a few months to catch any repeat issues early.
• Seek legal help if needed. If you’ve lost income, housing, or experienced significant stress, a consumer protection attorney can help you recover damages.

Being mistakenly declared dead isn’t just a clerical hiccup, it can derail your finances, housing and career in a heartbeat. The best defense is vigilance. Don’t wait for a rejection letter to discover you’re a credit ghost. Sarah urges, “Take it from me: Check your credit report regularly!”