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It's not difficult for parents to open credit cards in the children's names because we have access to social security numbers and other personal information. It's a huge loophole, and lots of young adults have learned to their horror that their parents have taken advantage of them this way. My husband and I have had this discussion with our own young adult children many times, and we've walked them through the steps of freezing their credit to prevent fraud. They know that we are trustworthy, but, sadly, many other parents are not.
How the heck do parents have access to their kids' SS numbers? You mean, if they get SS numbers for their kids, while the kids are underage? Maybe that's a bad idea that needs to stop.
If that's the case, I may just go ahead and pay the rest off myself. It should be finished by the end of the year, it's much cheaper than hiring a lawyer and possibly losing the case on top of that, and I won't harm the relationship I have with my mother.
I can't see though how or why I should press charges on her. Discover claimed those purchases were made back in November 2016 and I never received that letter from them until this past January. I don't think my mother knew about or remembered anything about the purchases until I showed her that letter.
So, your mom forgot that she opened a credit card in your name?
And, your mom forgot that she charged $4,000 to that card?
Hmmm, you never received any credit card bills for well over a year? Where do you think that the bills were sent? How about to your mother's house?
Get your credit report and make sure that dear old Mom did not open a bunch of other cards.
How the heck do parents have access to their kids' SS numbers? You mean, if they get SS numbers for their kids, while the kids are underage? Maybe that's a bad idea that needs to stop.
Yes, of course we have our children's social security numbers, which are necessary for all sorts of things from the time they're tiny all the way through high school graduation, including but not limited to healthcare insurance, driver's licenses, and college applications.
You have to file a police report naming your mom and the accusation is that she stole your identity, used fraud to create credit accounts in your name.
That's what you should have done that before now. (but I get that filing a police report on your mom is a painful and complicated situation.)
THAT is what gets credit card companies to stop coming after YOU for the money. (not right away it's a process, but the police report is the first step)....you use that to show to the CC company, that you are really serious -- it wasn't YOU who created those accounts. That YOU also are the victim of a CRIME.
WHY you are in denial about what your mom did....WHY she did it....WHY she won't clean up this mess that she has created for her own child......WHY you're talking about living with a woman -- yes, I get it, she's your mom -- who stole your identity, used your name to create credit accounts AND run up the bills ..........none of those answers, WE can know.
I've been living with my mother for only 2 years now. My two younger sisters, my twin brother (who also lived with us for about that same amount of time but placed in a boarding home by my mother 2 months ago) and I were never raised by her because she spent time in prison here in Texas. She moved here to Dallas almost 30 years ago while my twin brother and I were both placed in different homes in NJ until we we were 5 and we grew up in this foster home for almost the next 10 years. Since I first heard from her about 5 1/2 years ago and rented the house, she was about making sure she had the chance to become a better mother and be serious about turning her life around. I understand there are some crazy parents that do stuff to their kids but I'm just saying I don't want to rush to any judgments. If and when it's determined I have enough to press charges or sue her, the only family I could really be able to have is my twin brother. Everyone else could take my mother's side.
How the heck do parents have access to their kids' SS numbers? You mean, if they get SS numbers for their kids, while the kids are underage? Maybe that's a bad idea that needs to stop.
Well, I know my older sisters SS # and she knows mine (We're 11 digits different....) so it's not hard for parents to know their kids SS numbers now that they are supposed to have them by age 5 I believe.
From our lovely Govt:
Why should I get a Social
Security number for my child?
You need a Social Security number to claim
your child as a dependent on your income
tax return. Your child may also need a
number if you plan to:
• Open a bank account for the child;
• Buy savings bonds for the child;
• Get medical coverage for the child; or
• Apply for government services for
the child.
I've been living with my mother for only 2 years now. My two younger sisters, my twin brother (who also lived with us for about that same amount of time but placed in a boarding home by my mother 2 months ago) and I were never raised by her because she spent time in prison here in Texas. She moved here to Dallas almost 30 years ago while my twin brother and I were both placed in different homes in NJ until we we were 5 and we grew up in this foster home for almost the next 10 years. Since I first heard from her about 5 1/2 years ago and rented the house, she was about making sure she had the chance to become a better mother and be serious about turning her life around. I understand there are some crazy parents that do stuff to their kids but I'm just saying I don't want to rush to any judgments. If and when it's determined I have enough to press charges or sue her, the only family I could really be able to have is my twin brother. Everyone else could take my mother's side.
Oh honey, I feel for you. It's really tough when a parent betrays you, but the evidence is pretty clear: your mother has hung you out to dry. If you are not willing to press charges (and I understand completely why you may not want to head down that path), you need to take steps right now, RIGHT NOW, to freeze your credit. Next time you post to this thread, I want to read that you have done it. No excuses. Just do it, so you will be protected from further fraud going forward.
You need to get a copy of your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies and check for any other accounts you don't know about. As others have said you need to freeze your credit.
As for your mom your only option is to pay it or file a police report on her for identity theft and go through the process of having the debts removed for being fraudulent. I would at the very least put your mom on notice that the next time she does this you are going to the police.
I see this on reddit personalfinance and legaladvice all the time. It is very sad.
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