Texas woman tries to convince government she is not dead

TYLER, TX (WABC) -- A woman in Texas is facing a frustrating challenge - convincing the government she is not dead.

The Social Security Administration declared Barbara Klein-Schmidt dead last month. She discovered the mistake when she tried to open a new credit account. One by one, she got letters and calls that her credit cards and checking accounts were closed.

Klein-Schmidt was even blocked from checking her credit report.

A social security representative said this type of mistake is rare, and the agency is working to fix the problem.