Rybolov highlights another important reason to obtain a credit report:

Called Experion and cleared out 3 wrong SSNs, 12 wrong addresses, and 30 wrong accounts.#MyNameIsMikeSmith

Your credit is typically tied to a range of identifying factors, including your Social Security number. However, as Rybolov points out, a common name makes it more difficult. Credit rating and credit report systems are somewhat automated, but they still require human supervision for your own protection.  As FICO notes, mistakes can occur when people apply for credit under different names, clerical errors are made, and simple misfilings are run.

What can you do? Obtain a credit report or subscribe to a credit monitoring service. Once you see the credit and information tied to you, you can correct any that might be in error. You can learn more here about how to contact the credit bureaus.

Rybolov seems to have experienced a particularly egregious case of identity confusion. Fortunately, he was smart enough to check and monitor his credit. No matter how rare your own name is, it’s a good idea to do the same.