Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Virginia
credit card fraud
My friend had another friend use her social security no without her knowing it and now has a bunch of bills not paid in her name. The person that did it had a breakdown during this time. My friend only wants to get her credit fixed without pressing charges against the other person. How can she do this?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: credit card fraud
Your friend could either disavow these bills by writing to each of the unauthorized creditors and explaining that unauthorized charges were made by a person falsely and fraudulently using her name and SS#, or your friend could decide to pay the bills, perhaps, with the aid of the person who supposedly had the breakdown.
Re: credit card fraud
What happened here was a crime and should be reported to police. There is no excuse for this dishonest conduct. The perpetrator should be prosecuted and will be required to make restitution if convicted. Your friend is not going to be able to get her credit fixed without doing it. The identity theft law that covers this situation requires a police report.