How to get my phone # off deadbeat's credit report?

[mccorma]

For the past year on and off I get collection calls for a person who has a VERY similar name, first name and middle initial the same, last name spelled different by one letter.

This week I got one of the collectors to disclose that my home phone number is listed on the "deadbeat's" credit report from TransUnion.

I've found about 4-800 numbers for TransUnion, but can't get to a live person without a copy of a credit report/account number that came from them-- I don't have one.

Any tips on how I can get through to a live person there and get this resolved-- the calls are driving me crazy and I don't want to change my phone number & get unlisted to get the calls to stop.

I am also hesitant to give TU my SSN (if I ever get a live body on the phone) as I am deathly afraid that somehow my credit will get commingled with this deadbeat.

Can they pull up a search of records using phone number only? HELP!!

 

[NYClex]

well, actually what you should do in my opinion is get a credit report from them (and the other bureaus) as soon as you can to check that there are not more erroneous entries in it. If TU screwed up once they might have screwed up more.

Then you always can and should write a letter to them, certified and with return receipt, explaining the problem and demanding that they correct it.

 

[mccorma]

Actually I reached a consumer advocate group here locally, they said that it was unlikely that my phone number was actually on this person's credit report. It was more likely that it was attached to the "file" that these collectors had, and as it was sold from one collector to another the calls would start up again--- or else they were just looking it up in a phone directory and the names were so similar they would call me.

Their suggestion was to bite the bullet, change my number and be sure it was unlisted etc. Not really wanting to do that but I may have to.

I agree though, it would be a good idea to pull my reports anyway just to be sure.