VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — When we first met Jaime Duzz, we asked her the question that was begging to be asked. “Jaime Duzz, are you dead?”  It seems like a silly question, but the fact is, it is a really serious question for her — with complex answers still unanswered on how she is considered in some public records, including Social Security Administration, as dead.   Duzz answers the question in one of three interviews we conducted with her to help her correct a system that sees her as dead.  “No, do I look dead?”  But she is seen as dead. “Yes, I know," she said, "and it’s very frightening.”  Duzz is living a frightening nightmare. “My situation is absolute hell," she said. "I feel like I am nonexistent on this planet. I am literally nonexistent. I can't get a credit report. I can't get health insurance," she told 10 On Your Side at her Virginia Beach home.”  In December, Chime Banking shut down her debit card because she was told she is dead.   10 On Your Side called Chime to confirm that.  A man on the other end, speaking broken English, took Duzz's question to have him confirm that her debit account was closed because she is dead.    “It came back to you that I am labeled as deceased," she said. "Is that correct?”  He put her on hold, and came back a few minutes later with the answer was her account closed because she was dead. “Yes, yes, it is," he said.   “Ok, that is all I wanted to know," she said. 10 on Your Side challenged him on why Chime closed the account.  “She obviously is not dead, so why would you close the account? She is alive.”  “Yes sir. Yes Sir,” the Chime representative said.  “So why would you close the account? You just said you closed it because she is dead," 10 On Your Side said. "Obviously, that is a mistake. She is not dead, and you should not have closed the account.”  “Yes sir," the Chime representative said. "We just received notification.”  He had no further explanation.  Then, two years ago at her doctor's office, "every time they tried to bill my insurance, ... it would not go through because I had been declared deceased by the Social Security Administration," she said.   Last February and December, the Social Security Administration delayed supplemental security income for Jaime’s son stating that it was delayed "until we find a representative payee to receive his payments.”  Duzz was livid about that, and she said the SSA "wrote that because they had received noticed that I was dead.”  A few days later, the benefits did show up.  10 On Your Side asked her what she thought when she received those notices. "I am my son’s representative," she said. "I freaked out.  My God. I freaked out. I called the Virginia Beach SSA office right away, and the lady could not figure out why I got that letter in the first place.”   In December, Jaime interviewed at a Virginia Beach Food Lion, and then she received this:  “The Social Security Administration (SSA) could not determine that you are authorized to work in the United States.”  Food Lion has given her 20 days to make things right.  “Yes. I don't know whether to laugh, cry, be angry," she said. "I am not going to lie. I'm very angry. This has really ruined my life. It really has ruined my life in so many ways right now.”  So, Jaime turned to 10 On Your Side, and we got to work figuring out whyDuzz is considered to be dead.  10 On Your Side met with her three times, and we reached out to SSA to get her help, and we also started digging on our own and found on the public search site Accurant that Jaime A. Bowden (maiden name) died on Jan. 4, 2019.  10 On Your Side showed up at her house and told her, “Jaime, we have found a public document that says you are dead, and you died on Jan. 4, 2019.  She was dumbfounded to see in writing that she is listed as dead.   “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said.   “But everybody at the bank, my doctor's office, saying it was reported by the Social Security Administration, “Jaime continued.  “It kind of makes me sad in a way you know.  I am really relieved. I am just shocked I can’t even believe this...it shows I’m dead...I’m sitting here in my hand, and holding my actual death records, and I'm not even dead.  Like How this actually happened?”  To get the answers we reached out to the Social Security Administration and contacted the Regional Communications Director Shawn Fordham.  He confirmed 3.1 million deaths reported to SSI a year, and less than one third of 1 percent are subsequently corrected.  He also indicated he absolutely would have no comment on this case because “Privacy laws preclude Social Security from discussing the specifics of an individual ‘s case.”  We left a message, and Fordham quickly returned the call to Duzz, and he also sent her an email.   He would not discuss the case with us.   Fordham set up a phone appointment with the Norfolk Social Security Administration office.  A woman who identified herself as Ms. Hebert, an assistant manager at the Norfolk SSA office, called Jaime and was extremely helpful, Duzz told us.  “She was very kind and informative," she said. "She let me know what her thoughts were on the situation. What I can do to prevent it from happening again, and she told us what can be done to fix it all around.”  Jaime said she was told this during a 25-minute phone call.  There were erroneous death inputs on her social security record in January and October 2024.  Someone in Massachusetts may have been using her social security number. There may be possible identity theft and fraud, and it is possible somebody may have tried to put in a Medicare application using her social security number.  Following the call, Fordham emailed us.  “There is no indication anyone was using her social security number," Fordham said. "We are actively working with her on this matter. ... Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention.”  Duzz told us she is relieved that Social Security is working right now to fix what is wrong.   She said this about 10 on Your Side,   “I think you did a fantastic job," she said. "You know, I am really excited and happy that you were so helpful, and ... this was the greatest thing I ever did for my life was reaching out to you guys. You guys were great.”