Mixed files: when someone else's history lands on yours
Similar names and near-identical SSNs cause the bureaus to merge two people into one file.
Bureau matching algorithms don't require an exact identity match. A shared name, a transposed Social Security digit, or a junior and senior at the same address can cause data from two people to merge into one file. The result is accounts, addresses, and delinquencies that belong to a stranger — or to a relative.
Mixed files rarely fix themselves through a routine dispute, because the underlying matching logic keeps re-merging the data. The dispute has to name the problem explicitly: identify which items aren't yours, provide your full identifying information, and ask the bureau to separate the files rather than just remove the items.
The rest of this is inside the portal
The step-by-step tactics, exact wording, and escalation sequence live in your Fix My Reports workspace, where they're applied to your own report items. Start with a $1 trial, then $50/month — cancel anytime.