I’m 21 and just found out my mom opened a credit card in my name when I was 18. It has a $1,000 limit and she used it without telling me. She also opened an Affirm account where she still owes about $2,000. I had never had a credit card, loan, or anything in my name until I found these. My credit score is now in the 300s. I owe like 9,000 $ apparently.
I reported the card as fraud, but now I’m trying to unreport it because I realized if I let it go through, I won’t be able to get another card at all. I’ve already tried applying for cards and keep getting denied unless it’s a secured card and I don’t even have the money for that.
I’m a full-time chemistry major and pre-med student. I had a job up until I got into a car accident and lost my car, so I haven’t been able to work since. I used to work part-time while balancing school, but now I can’t get anywhere. There’s nothing walkable near me and I can’t afford Ubers. I live on campus right now, but I didn’t get housing for the fall and don’t know where I’m going to live.
I took summer classes mainly because I knew I’d get a small refund check and at least have housing and food covered for a little while. But I’m burnt out. I’m tired, overwhelmed, and just stuck. I’ve already called the companies and started the fraud process, but it takes forever and doesn’t actually help me right now especially when I need a credit card just to get through basic things.
Has anyone else dealt with something like this? I don’t know what to do. Any advice or ideas would help.
Comments
[removed]
You can report your mom to the police for identity theft or live with it. You really don’t have many options.
What your mom did is identity theft, and it’s not your fault your credit is wrecked — you’re doing the right thing by reporting it, even if it’s hard. It’s better to deal with the fraud now than be stuck with $9k of debt that’ll drag you down for years. You’re overwhelmed, but you’re not alone — and you can rebuild from this, one step at a time.
You don’t unreport it. You go to the police and you file a police report because what your mom did was a criminal act. There are no other options for an easy resolution. If you choose to not go that route, then the only other option is to own the debt and ruin your life forever. Personally, I’d go to the police.
If you really don’t want your mom to get in trouble just report that your identity was stolen so you can at least get your credit back and not owe the 9k. The police and banks will do their own investigation and maybe they will find out it’s your mom, maybe not. Not really your problem at that point tho
This is betrayal disguised as motherhood and your future’s being strangled by someone who should’ve protected it. Don’t back down now file the police report stick to the fraud claims and use every legal and student resource you can because this isn’t just about credit it’s about getting your life back.
You have 2 options. Report it to the police. Report it to the CC companies as fraud and eventually get it removed. Or…
Just deal. If the card is maxed out, then you can’t use it regardless.
Sue your mom. It sucks, but family shouldn’t do this. Get a lawyer ASAP & explore legal aid if needed. Prioritize school, find work study, then address credit
Are you certain with your mom and not someone else and knew your information?
Unfortunately, I see it a lot on here and hear a lot about it in life .
Do you and your mom have the same name could’ve been a mixup ?
When I turned 18 and applied for credit, I was told I was overextended. I couldn’t be overextended because I never had credit and now my mother did not use my credit, but we did have the same name and the same address and that’s what caused the mixup. .
Damn dude, sorry to hear you’re going thru this crap. Imho, it’s tough but seems like you gotta stick to reporting the fraud. It’ll suck fir sure, but long term it’s scarier owing 9 grand on ur credit that ain’t yours. Yolo.
Also, remember that credit score ain’t everything. Focus on school, grind hard and you’ll eventually bounce back. Stay strong and keep pushing bruh, got your back! 🙌💪
Some family ain’t blood and some blood ain’t family. Sorry but you need a new mother figure in your life and this one needs to go to jail.
Only fans’ specific fetish … clothes on … mutbang ( videos of you eating food ). Thats it.
You could be well into your medical career and nothing you filmed would be considered pornography so it could never be used against you.
Do some research into it. TikTok… YouTube….. it’s pretty straightforward.
The income you get from this could resolve your immediate issues and keep you comfortable down the line.
Have her arrested and if possible, sue.
Its low down and dirty for a parent to do this to thier own kid
You need to fill a police report and they may arrest her. Going to court is the only way to fix your credit, consult an attorney.
Continue with the report. Make a police report and call credit bureaus. You’ll never recover soon enough even if your mom pays this off. You’re royally screwed for decades if you don’t report it as identity theft.
You can get a secured card out 500 and only use it for small amounts maybe gas or lunch and in six months you will get your money back make sure you pay more then your minimum example like just pay off what you used. Example 32 in food with a 20 minimum just pay the whole thing. Your credit will raise good
Blood is thinker than water?
So is gasoline… which you need… unlike her blood.
File a Report.
Tell her you did and exactly— permitted when you can do so safely.
Don’t let a shitter ruin your life.
Your mom literally sacrificed your future lol, send her ass to jail
Report it
Uhm report as fraud file police report for identity theft and take them to court as needed
Lawyer
File a police report. Yeah do it! No time to feel guilty or sorry for her. It’s despicable behavior and criminal. Once you file the report get a copy and dispute everything on your credit report. This is the only way.
Your mom deserves to be in jail. She fucked you over royally.
File charges on your mother.
First, order a current copy of your credit report to ensure there are no other cards/loans or lines of credit that she has fraudulently taken in your name. Once you have done that, file a police report listing each fraudulent account and send copies to the companies in question.
Your mom may face charges for this but it’s best way to fix your credit. It’s a terrible thing to do to your child. Otherwise you’d have to slowly build and demand your mom makes payments to you to fix the debt and slowly build back up
Report her to the police. If you’re worried about her going away for a long time don’t the prisons are overcrowded they’ll clear your debt and she’ll spend a year in jail. All good then
Um your mom is a criminal and she needs to be held responsible. Press charges and get it reversed!
Just ask for the signatures on the account & on all the purchases.
Sue your mother and have her ass dragged off to jail.
You need to GO TO THE POLICE. She stole your identity and has ruined your credit for at least a decade if nothing is done about it.
police! police! police! I am sorry your mom has stolen your identity! The only real way to protect yourself and fix your credit is to report the fraud to the police. Once there’s a formal investigation and proof that your mom was responsible, the fraudulent debt can be removed from your credit history and you’ll have the chance to rebuild from a clean slate… this is terrible! I am so sorry!
Get a lawyer
You report it to the police department, freeze your accounts and contact all of them to state your mom stole your identity.
This is a very serious police matter
This is just horrible. I’m also in my early 20s (22)and I worry with a good credit score let alone a bad one. First things first like the comments are saying your mum is a criminal plain and simple. I don’t know the ins and outs of your relationship but I’m assuming your mum is very manipulative and has poor money management. She will 100% try to guilt trip you into not pressing criminal charges. However unfortunately the only way to rectify this situation is to proceed with criminal justice if you have any hope of clearing up your credit.
You’ve reported it to the credit company however this won’t fix your credit. First find all cards taken out in your name and block any that you don’t use. Gather a list of the cards you know about and take yourself to the police it is identity theft and fraud. You know the culprit this should make it easy for police and your bank to create a legal defence for you stop any new cards or unknown existing cards. Try find a probono lawyer if not search about local legal aid. Follow through with prosecution. It may be hard but what your mother has done is unforgivable. Parents support their children’s future not totally blow it up.
I have limited knowledge of the US court system but you can probably make some sort of a plea explaining if you don’t want her to go to jail for the crime and simply wish for restitution and a better credit score. From what I’ve heard it would be a community service and restitution at the most and unless your mum goes full monster mode about this legally then that’s normally as far as theese cases go. But it will put alot of strain on your bond with your mum. I personally think given the circumstances that a reality check for her would be positive.
I hope this helps please remember you are not to blame and even tho it will be tough if you can survive this and win nothing will ever stop you achieving what you want plus you will be all the stronger and wiser for it!
Report your mother to the police. She’s a common thief. Does that sound harsh? She didn’t mind putting you in debt so she could buy things. The only way credit card debt is erased is with a police report. Either that or work to pay her debt and hope she doesn’t screw you over even more while you’re doing it.
Don’t forget to lock your credit. Even you will be denied while it’s locked, but at least you won’t be 20,000 in debt.
You’re gonna have to let the process go through of it saying that it was fraud in the you know it was your mother. You’re gonna have to make a police report because if you don’t, you’re gonna have to basically lock your credit for the next eight years or declare bankruptcy.
I would see an attorney ASAP!
Time to call the police
Your mom committed fraud. You need to report her to the cops and sue her too. Was the car accident your fault? If not, you have to put in a claim against the other driver and hire a personal injury lawyer. They don’t get paid unless there’s a settlement so you don’t have to pay them up front anything at all.
Get a police report
I’m still dealing with identity theft ….police report
Send copies to all credit beaus
Irs
And whenever u try for an apartment car loan, etc, have a copy on hand …..
File a report with all three credit bureaus & make sure to restrict your credit information.
Report her and have her ass thrown in jail
File a police report and press charges for credit card fraud. Separate from your mom as she did this on purpose knowing that it was fraud and would have a negative impact on you.
Report it to the police, let the credit card company know about the identity theft. They will go after the fraudster. Lock your credit. What ever happens to mom is not your fault. She was fully aware she was committing fraud when she applied for the card and loans. Unfortunately this is really something you can’t let slide because a lot of employers check background and credit before hiring. Keep a copy of all this evidence as you may need it in the future. Also don’t apply for credit right now because each application is a ding and will lower your score. Get this straightened out first. I am so sorry your mother did this to you and I hope things work out for you in the future.
Easy. Cops. Then calling the credit card companies and the credit reporting agencies to prove it. Your mom isn’t just a run of the mill faceless criminal. She stole her child’s life and she needs to face the consequences.
Report this to the police. What your mother did is a crime.
You need to hire a reputable credit repair service.
I’m sorry that your mom did that to you. You didn’t deserve to be harmed by someone who is supposed to look out for you. She, however, deserves all the consequences coming her way after you report this to the police. That is really the only way you can get this fully rectified without paying a dime.
You file a report with the police. Then, you can file charges against your mother for credit card fraud and damages. Take her ass to court!
Why don’t you go to your mom directly about this? If she wants to say she isn’t going to help pay it off, she is responsible for this so she should take responsibility, if she doesn’t want to take responsibility then it’s time to go to cops.
You need to go to the police and file a report for identity theft.
Go to the police and report her for fraud. She is destroying your life.
My mom did the same crap to me in college in the late 90s. The upside was that my college had a free lawyer for students and she got me out of it. Without her help I’d have struggled even more. See if your campus has a legal resource center. And btw I went no contact with my mother shortly after this fiasco and did not speak to her for 30 years until she died. No regrets because her toxicity was killing me. I did much better in life after I went nc.
OP…SO sorry your mom did that to you. I can’t imagine EVER doing that to my kids. It’s just so wrong on so many levels 🥴
Is your mom owning up to it & agreeing to pay it back? If so, you could contact the companies directly to work out. If not, you might want to contact a debt relief agency & look into either bankruptcy or debt proposal. They both have their advantages & disadvantages, but may be the cheapest (& quickest) way to put this behind you.
You file a police report, get those credit cards off your credit report, and let mom’s cards fall where they may. She completely trashed your future, which means she DGAF about you.
Go through credit karma and freeze your ssn so no one can take out more debt under your name and start calling these credit companies and tell them that these accounts are fraudulent once you have the police report.
Report her.
Police, now. I think the bureaus can remedy your credit if she’s found liable for this by authorities.
Your mom KNOWINGLY screwed you over BIG TIME! You owe her NOTHING! File a police report ASAP! Then contact the company she defrauded.
Report your mom to the police. Like NOW. Run dont walk.
Also look up how to freeze your credit and bank accounts. Right now.
The reason you can only get a secured card, is because your credit score is 300!
Has nothing to do with the fraud report.
Get a credit card in her name and use it to pay for all your expenses.
File a police report and seek a credit counselor
Yes like others said you follow through with reporting it. Which may include filing a police report or whatever and your credit will eventually be fixed after investigations. You do not unreport it unless you want to take responsibility for it and pay it yourself. So pay it yourself or report it your choice. Reporting it should fix your score eventually.
You need to contact the credit bureaus and set up barriers for anyone attempting to get another card in your name. With theft like this in your name, your future tax returns may be garnished. Your student services probably can help. Your bank or credit union may be able to help also.
You have no choice but to file a police report for ID theft. Your mom did this to you. This is on her.
I see this same problem posted every day. It’s horrendous and fraud. Your parents are screwing you over and risking your immediate future – getting a job, a loan, credit of any kind, an apartment.
Definitely report to the police but you are not getting a car loan or credit card with no income, regardless.
Oh shizz you don’t want to start out your life with $9k in credit card debt, esp if you’re still in school and don’t have a job. if you don’t pay it off, in four years you will owe $29k and four years after that you will owe $94k. This will derail all your finances, esp considering the loans you’ll need for medical school.
you have to pull the emergency lever on this. Report criminal fraud and identity theft to the police, talk to the credit cards and figure out what you need to do to get rid of the balance. Freeze your credit and get ready for the nuclear fallout from your family. But it is worth it for your future.
for right now, you can get by as a poor college student. RA at a dorm? On campus job at the library? Live with five roommates? Once i lived with eight roommates. Ramen for lunch and dinner. You can bootstrap it for a couple years at your age.
keep fighting and succeed!
I have heard that this is a common thing often done by African American single mothers (not trying to be racist here, but I realize this may be taken that way)
Is your mother African American by chance?
You have to go to the police and get this prosecuted
Call the three major reporting companies and have them open cases for fraud too. They have a lot more power and more reason to help you. You may not have even been old enough to open an account at the time and you did not open them or use them. They have these policies for a reason-so make use of them.
why does does this happen in the USA and not lets say in the EU?
How can you even open anything without the person being pressnt?
Your banks are whack
Press charges
Two options. Do nothing or call the cops. Done and done
Retired financial fraud investigator.
File a police report for identity theft. Chances of police investigating are pretty minimal as they get 100’s a month from people trying to get legitimate items removed from their credit report. If they do investigate, don’t feel guilty….you wouldn’t do this to your Mom, so why let her do it to you. It is literally financial abuse.
Lock your credit on all 3 bureaus do your mother cannot do this again. Send a copy of the police report to each credit bureau.
Send an ID theft report & copy of police report to each creditor & to the CFPB. The creditor has to investigate within 30 days.
You poor thing. What your mom did was fraud. I would sue her in small claiming court so she can pay you what’s owed.
OP, if you read this open a free account at Credit Karma. This will allow you to see weekly activity on any accounts in your name. It also allows you to pull regular credit reports. Part of the reason your credit score is so low is that you haven’t actually built any credit history of your own yet. The only things you have in your name are the loans that your mom owes.
Next, it’s time to have a serious talk with mom. She has engaged in criminal fraud and it’s serious. She needs to pay this money back immediately or you need to file a police report and engage with the credit reporting bureaus to get a fraud claim started so that they can remove this identity theft from your records.
Third, you need to get a campus job. Since you don’t have a car right now, this may be the best you can do. Look for lab assistant jobs on campus or anything that might be good for your degree and resume. Talk to the campus employment office to see what is available and get back to work. Having a reported income will help your credit score.
Also talk to your campus housing department and tell them what is happening to you. This is an emergency situation and they may be able to find campus housing for you on that basis. They don’t want you to be homeless.
Finally, get an appointment with a financial planner and find out how best to start building your credit history so that when you graduate you’re set to rent a home and buy a car.
You’re going to be ok, but you’ll have to do some hoop-jumping. I know you’re burnt out and this is a lot. Do you have any other family that you can call on for help? Someone who could loan you a car or let you rent a room for the semester? Call in any favors you can. You’ve got this. Good luck!
Edit TL;DR: open a credit monitoring account. Talk to mom and get her to pay the loans now. Get a campus job. Talk to campus housing about emergency accommodation. Talk to a financial planner to start building credit. Talk to family members about a loaner car or a room to rent. Call in favors if you have any. Keep your chin up! 💪🤞💗
You go to the police and file fraud charges. Get the police report and next report to all of the accounts the fraud charges. Next, freeze your credit. Your mom committed fraud. Yes, she will be charged. But she will be OK and will have to repay all of the accounts. Don’t allow her to ruin the start of your adult life. It won’t get better until you stand up about this.
You reporting it won’t stop you from getting other cards. Don’t know why you would think that. Stop applying for cards until the fraud is removed from your credit reports. If you try to stop the report your credit will be ruined for decades. Once you send the police report to the creditors, the bad credit will be removed from your history and you’ll be starting from zero.
Then re-apply, but realize that a lot of first-time cards will require a secured card. That’s normal. As you use it and make timely payments, your history will grow and you’ll eventually be able to get better, unsecured cards.
Fraud is against the law. If your mom is a criminal, report her to the appropriate authorities. If she stole the identity of her own child, she’ll steal it from anyone. Help get her off the streets before she victimizes someone else.
What is your mom saying about all of this?
You will need to file a police report as part of getting the cc companies to remove the cards and the poor payment history from your cards.
This alone will not get you a credit card that you can use for living expenses. You will need an income.
Your only way out of this is to file a police report. Then you come get the debts off your credit report and then begin to build credit. I would also freeze your credit so that she can’t do it again.
You need a police report. You submit that to the credit card companies and to the credit reporting agencies. You can do the credit reporting agencies online. Make sure you get a copy of your credit report so you know all of the places you have credit that need to be notified. All will be removed and you can start out your credit history properly.
You have two choices. Both suck.
But first – lock your credit! Right now if you’ve not already.
Choice one: report the identity theft. With the police report you should be able to get the accounts removed completely. Your mom will face consequences. Which she should.
Choice two: pay them off. Close the accounts so no more charges. And just pay them off. No doubt these have horrible interest rates so you pay much more than $9000. But if you want to cover for your mom, this is the way. Locking your credit should prevent her opening any more accounts. But if you choose this path she may pressure you to go along.
She is stealing from you. You decide what to do about that.
Turn mommy in.
Ummmm that’s fraud and highly illegal.
You could take her to civil court and ask her to take responsibility?
Stupid woman
NEVER MAKE A PAYMENT!! If you make a single payment you have accepted the debt as yours. Don’t do it.
So, long story short, I had to make this choice with my dad. Pay it, Fight it or Report your parent. I ate the bad credit rating but I made the mistake of making a payment at one point.
I told the credit agency, I never signed any such papers and to please send me a copy of my signature on their documents. But I was already screwed by my having made a payment.
They sold the debt to someone else. This would happen all the time now.
It took about 10 years or so because of the reselling ad nausium. Eventually it dropped off and I’m okay now.
btw, You don’t need a secured credit card. Just open a bank account, direct deposit your income into it, and get a bank card. Same thing, just easier, cheaper.
Most CC companies will remove the accounts from your credit with a police report
Yeah file a police report. Criminal charges but good ole mom does know what she did was wrong so now have her pay up
Tough … but sue her and take your life back
Police report, tomorrow. You are looking at a career path that may very well stall out because of your credit score. I would not have been hired in my job (firefighter) with a bad credit score; they made a big deal about checking it early in the background investigation. I could see where a job in a pharmacy or in a medical setting would not happen with an abysmal score. Your mom pulled the finger at you and your future. You need to clean it up, and it starts with a police report. Your mom is not going to go to jail, and the amounts involved may not make it worth it to even prosecute her; that won’t be your decision, but you do need to get the ball rolling. I am surprised that filing a fraud claim did not require a police report. I do know that credit card fraud departments yawn at the amount you are talking about, so they will get to it when they get to it.
You go report it to the police then send police report to all companies, then you put on a lock on your credit
Turn her into the police.
DUDE FILE A POLICE REPORT AGAINST HER!
This is a serious situation, and it’s understandable that you’re feeling overwhelmed. Your guardian opening credit cards in your name without your knowledge or consent, especially now that you’re 18, is likely a form of identity theft and possibly credit fraud. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what you should do:
Phase 1: Gather Information
Identify the Credit Cards: Try to determine exactly which credit cards were opened. Look for mail, emails, or anything related to these accounts.
Access Your Credit Reports: This is crucial. You are entitled to a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once every 12 months.
Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com (this is the only official site for free credit reports).
Pull a report from all three bureaus. This will show you all accounts opened in your name, including the fraudulent ones, and any associated balances or late payments.
Phase 2: Take Immediate Action
Place a Fraud Alert: Contact one of the three major credit bureaus (you only need to contact one, and they will notify the other two). Ask them to place a “fraud alert” on your credit report. This makes it harder for new credit to be opened in your name for a certain period.
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
Consider a Credit Freeze: This is a more aggressive step than a fraud alert. A credit freeze completely restricts access to your credit report, meaning no new credit can be opened in your name unless you temporarily lift the freeze. This is highly recommended in your situation. You will need to contact each bureau individually to place a freeze.
Contact the Credit Card Companies:
Once you’ve identified the fraudulent accounts from your credit report, call the fraud department of each credit card company.
Explain that the accounts were opened fraudulently and that you are a victim of identity theft.
Request that the accounts be closed and removed from your credit report.
Ask for an affidavit of identity theft (they may require you to fill one out).
Keep detailed records of every call: date, time, person you spoke with, and what was discussed.
File an Identity Theft Report with the FTC:
Go to http://www.identitytheft.gov.
This is an official government resource that will help you create a personalized recovery plan and an Identity Theft Report. This report is crucial for proving to creditors and law enforcement that you are a victim.
File a Police Report:
Go to your local police department and file a police report. Bring your FTC Identity Theft Report, your credit reports highlighting the fraudulent accounts, and any other evidence you have.
Be prepared to explain that the person who opened the cards is your guardian. This can be emotionally difficult, but it’s a necessary step to protect yourself legally.
Get a copy of the police report.
Phase 3: Long-Term Recovery & Protection
Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report: After contacting the credit card companies and filing reports, you will need to formally dispute the fraudulent accounts with each of the three credit bureaus. You can do this online, by mail, or by phone. Provide them with your FTC Identity Theft Report and police report.
Monitor Your Credit Regularly: Even after resolving these issues, regularly check your credit reports (at least once a year, but more frequently initially) to ensure no new fraudulent activity occurs.
Keep Meticulous Records: Save all documents, emails, call logs, and reports related to this incident. You’ll need them for reference and potential future disputes.
Seek Legal Advice (Optional but Recommended): Given that your guardian is involved, you might want to consult with an attorney who specializes in identity theft or consumer law. They can advise you on your legal options and help you navigate the process, especially if there are significant debts involved.
Address the Relationship with Your Guardian: This is the most sensitive part. Depending on your situation and comfort level, you’ll need to decide how to address this with your guardian. This is a deeply personal decision, but understand that their actions have significant legal and financial consequences for you.
Important Considerations:
Don’t Pay the Debts: Do NOT make any payments on these fraudulent accounts. Paying them can be seen as an admission of responsibility.
Be Persistent: Resolving identity theft can take time and persistence. Don’t get discouraged. Follow up regularly with credit bureaus, creditors, and law enforcement.
Emotional Support: This is a very stressful situation. Lean on trusted friends, family members, or seek professional counseling if needed.
You have the right to a clean credit history, and taking these steps will help you reclaim your financial identity.
Sell blood everyday.
That will give you a little cash.
For the bus.