Deadbeat-ery, Fun For The Whole Family!

[thehippie777]

i thought some of that stuff only stays on your credit rating for x amounts of years?

I'd suggest she get a copy of her rating and then go and challenge every single thing her mom put on it. Considering it was from before she was 12 years old she could have a good case... I could be wrong, but since children cannot enter into legally binding contracts - their parents have to be the authorizing authorities - it may be a selling point for her getting her credit cleared?

Well, it all started before she was 12. Her mom kept doing it up until she started to go to college & that is when my friend found out about it. She is only 21, and her mom was still opening accounts up in her name up until she was 17. Shitty deal. She should fight it, but she won't because she is just kinda soft like that.

[Geek King]

Well, it all started before she was 12. Her mom kept doing it up until she started to go to college & that is when my friend found out about it. She is only 21, and her mom was still opening accounts up in her name up until she was 17. Shitty deal. She should fight it, but she won't because she is just kinda soft like that.

In order to reverse things like that for fraud, most places will require that you swear out a criminal complaint against the person performing the fraud. A lot of in-family fraud is gotten away with because no one wants to send the family member to jail--even if they deserve it.

I suggest that your friend put a freeze on her credit account, if that is allowed in your state. That way only she can open new credit lines, and only after calling to set up a temporary lift of the freeze. Other tips can be found on www.clarkhoward.com. She may even want to call him for free advice, and she's got a story that would be hard for him to pass up. Either way, that's a bad situation, and I wish her luck.

[thehippie777]

In order to reverse things like that for fraud, most places will require that you swear out a criminal complaint against the person performing the fraud. A lot of in-family fraud is gotten away with because no one wants to send the family member to jail--even if they deserve it.

I suggest that your friend put a freeze on her credit account, if that is allowed in your state. That way only she can open new credit lines, and only after calling to set up a temporary lift of the freeze. Other tips can be found on www.clarkhoward.com. She may even want to call him for free advice, and she's got a story that would be hard for him to pass up. Either way, that's a bad situation, and I wish her luck.

Yeah, but she is in college & that would prevent her student loans...or so I think. She also does hold credit cards herself now in hopes to improve her standing.

[Geek King]

Yeah, but she is in college & that would prevent her student loans...or so I think. She also does hold credit cards herself now in hopes to improve her standing.

Like I said, the freeze can be lifted on a temporary basis when applying for new credit lines. Existing credit cards will not be affected, only when you apply for a new one. If your friend tells the company/school she's dealing with that she has a credit freeze due to fraud, most should work with her to get things done. It will be annoying, and not fair at all that she has to do this, but it will help keep her mother from causing further harm to her finacial health. If the mother would do that to a little kid, I doubt she would stop now that your friend is an adult.