My Mom has been using my name. Identity Theft???

Question

I just found out that my Mom used my name on some bills (I was a minor at the time) and now those bills are in collections. What should I do. I am 26, married with a two year old son. We are working on paying off student loans and clearing our own debts. What should I do. She is my mother! I would expect this from a stranger, a common criminal, not my own mother!

I recall seeing a story on the news or DateLine or something about parents using their children's names and SS# because the parents have bad credit. One man was on that show used his infant son's name on things. I never thought that this would happen to me. How can a parent do that to their child? I would never screw up my 2 year old son's life before it even begins!

Answer 1

I would think that YES very definitely that was identity theft. That's too bad that a mother would do that to a child. She should know what she did to you and how it is affecting you now that you're working on your own credit. She should offer to make things right for you.

Answer 2

Well you have 3 choices.

1. The obvious. Press charges. It's your mother and if you have a good relationship with here I wouldn't recommend this.

2. Since it is your mother and you aren't pressing charges, technically you have to pay off the debt. But there is a law that states after 4 years of being in collections, the agencies can no longer come after you for the money. That's right you are no longer legally responsible for the debt. It probably has affected your credit rating and you wont being able to fix that unless it was fraud.

3. You could argue with the collections company that you were a minor at the time and are not legally responsible. But I'm not sure if that could get you anywhere. And they will most likely tell you to file a police report against your mother.

Approach this with your mother, tell her she should pay you for the debt.

Answer 3

I know no one wants to believe a parent could do something like this but if it really was your mother who did this then I would say you need to talk to her and make it clear that she needs to take care of the situation. However just paying the collection agencies is not going to help your credit scores you really need to get all the entries deleted.

Unfortunately the only way to completely erase the entries from your credit report is to turn your mother in, file a police report and claim them as fraudulent. Maybe you should call your local law enforcement and see if there is a way you can place the report but not press charges.

Answer 4

Your friend cannot have it both ways. She MUST file a police report to prove to the credit card company that she is serious. Not wanting to get mom in trouble will simply mean that she has agreed to the debt.

Answer 5

I had a sister and a sister in-law both do this to me, they also went into collections. It is identity theft no matter who does it. I was able to prove that it was my sister-in -law, and they went after her instead. but not for the one my sister put in my name...I told her that she had to give me the money to pay it back, it took a lot of nagging, but finally she did. confront your mom, and prove to the collections that you were a minor at the time and did not put your name on the bills.

Answer 6

When You Were Young?
How Could She Use Your Name Then?

Answer 7

You tell her she either pays them or you take her to small claims court. Its only fair she may be your mom but my goodness you deserve to get that money back..

Answer 8

tell her to pay, or call the DA