How To Correct Mistakes in Your Credit Report

If there are mistakes or fraudulent transactions in your credit report, you can correct them. If the problem is a simple error, reach out to the creditors that are reflecting incorrect information first. If they acknowledge their error and promise to correct your information, get a commitment in writing. 

File a complaint with the relevant credit reporting agencies, and if the creditor has admitted to a mistake, send their confirmation to ensure there are no dropped balls. Explain what the errors are and provide your evidence. By law, credit reporting agencies generally have 30 days to respond. 

If the agency declines your request for corrections, you can refile, supplying additional evidence. You can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or contact the Florida Attorney General’s office. 

Since this process can be lengthy and complex, consider getting help from a Florida credit report error lawyer. They may be able to get corrections approved faster, and if you have suffered damages, it may even be possible to recover them along with your legal costs. 

If the inconsistencies on your credit report occurred because you have fallen victim to identity theft or fraud, you must report the crime and then request that the fraudulent records be blocked. Get advice from a Florida identity theft attorney. 

Reaching Out to Creditors to Correct Errors in Your Credit Report

Errors on your credit report are a serious matter. The better the evidence you can gather, the faster you can resolve the error. One of the most compelling forms of evidence you can present is confirmation of errors directly from your creditors.

It’s wise to document all interactions, so sending your complaint in writing, together with supporting documentation like bank statements, is the correct approach. Follow up with a call to find out what you should expect next, and when. Having a contact person you can turn to can prevent getting tied up in a process in which you have to repeat everything at every touchpoint. 

Creditors are not legally bound to timelines, but they will often be willing to look into your complaint fairly promptly. If they agree there is an error, ask for written confirmation of their intention to update or remove incorrect entries. 

Once you have it, send a copy to the relevant credit reporting agencies. This improves the likelihood of reaching a rapid resolution and can serve as evidence if you run into further difficulties later on. 

Filing a Complaint With Credit Reporting Agencies in Florida

The big three credit reporting agencies you may deal with are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Each provides information on how to correct mistakes on your credit report.

• You can reach out to Experian online or by post. There is also a helpline you can contact for advice on filing your complaint. 
• When you wish to file a complaint with TransUnion, they encourage you to use their online portal. However, you can also mail them or call them.
• Similarly, Equifax offers an online dispute resolution portal but also offers mail or phone-in options. 

Although credit reporting agencies encourage you to use their online portals, it may be best to submit your complaint by certified mail, retaining a copy. This allows you more leeway to explain complex errors and provide supporting evidence. 

Once you have filed your complaint, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires credit reporting agencies to respond within 30 days. If additional information comes to light and you add it to your complaint, this may stretch to 45 days. To save yourself from having to refile if your complaint is not upheld, make sure to file your complaint correctly the first time around. 

Filing a Complaint With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

If all else fails, you should file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Provide detailed information, showing the issues you encountered, and your evidence showing the report is incorrect. Show how you have attempted to correct mistakes in your credit report so far and the responses you received. 

The CFPB will take the matter up with your creditor and credit reporting bureaus and has the power to take enforcement action. It generally gets responses within 15 days, but final responses can take up to 60 days. 

Working Through The Florida Attorney General’s Office

You can get support through the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Its primary role is to facilitate communication and act as a watchdog for misconduct that may lead to enforcement actions. However, it cannot correct credit report errors itself. Instead, it offers a route to escalate concerns.

How to Correct Mistakes in Your Credit Report That Occurred Because of Fraud or Identity Theft

The financial reputations of fraud and identity theft victims are protected under Section 605B of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It specifies that you can get the fraudulent information blocked from your credit report. To do this, credit reporting agencies will need you to: 

• Submit an identity theft report. You can get one through the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft portal. 
• Prove your identity.
• Write a letter in which you identify fraudulent debts and explain how they reflect on your credit report. 

If credit reporting agencies wish to decline your request, they must show that you are not a victim of identity theft or that you received something as a result of the transaction you asked them to block. If they move ahead with blocking, credit reporting agencies must act within 4 business days, and they must inform the companies that sent the information to them that your identity has been stolen. Once they have done so, these companies cannot hand you over to debt collectors.

How To Ensure that Mistakes in Your Credit Report Are Corrected and Remain That Way

With your credit report errors corrected, you may think the matter is settled. Unfortunately, erroneously reinserting wrong entries after correction is among the common complaints reported by the CFPB. It says these are data management mistakes, but you are likely to use stronger terms to describe this if it happens to you. 

The only solution is to lay a new complaint showing that the information was already successfully disputed and then re-entered.  Our advice to you is to remain vigilant and check your credit reports frequently. If the same mistakes keep cropping up, or you struggle to get them corrected, you may be able to file a lawsuit. 

Can You Sue Credit Reporting Agencies in Florida?

In certain circumstances, you can sue credit reporting agencies, and you may be on stronger ground than you think. They have been sued in the past, and in 2025, the CFPB filed a lawsuit alleging that Experian failed to properly investigate consumer complaints about credit report mistakes. It sought an injunction barring further violations and demanded that damages be paid to affected members of the public. 

As for your individual complaint, just having a lawyer to back you up can help in getting your complaint taken seriously and corrections made. They will know how to present your objections, and credit bureaus will know there is potential for a lawsuit if they fail in their duty.