Something Pretty Terrible

[grlNIN]

Alright, this is probably like the worst thread i've ever had to write and consequently the most complicated.

I don't want to overwhelm with details or completely strip down my family past but ill do my best to explain what needs to be explained.

I have two older brothers. Brother A and Brother B. I lived with Brother A until about May of this past year when we had a major falling out and i moved out with my boyfriend. Brother B is the notorious middle child and has had countless run ins with the law, nothing ever really bad, just stupid stuff.

When i was 18-20 Brother A helped me establish my credit by adding me as an authorized user on his accounts. When i turned 21 i was able to get my owns cards and take it from there. After a couple of months he told me he was removing me from his cards-which was fine because i established my credit already.

I have a very strained relationship with my parents and because of that we talk very infrequently. I have not talked to Brother A since i moved out and during this time period his wife has had their first child(whom because of the circumstances ive never seen). So my contact with my family is next to none at this point.

Until I caved and had dinner with my parents last night i was then told everything that will follow.

Brother A has basically pulled an identity theft on Brother B. Brother A lives in a very big house, drives 2 very nice cars and is a technological wizard geek. Has to have the biggest, flattest TVs and computers. Newest phones etc. Brother A lives well outside his financial ability. As an added financial bonus has just had a child.

For the past 9 months Brother A has been opening credit cards with banks and other places with Brother B's information. Brother A has made his mortgage payments with HIS OWN credit card and then USED Brother B's cards to pay off his own, maxing them out completely.

Brother B found out about this when he went to his bank to apply for a credit card and was informed of his increasing debt. He confronted Brother A who admitted it and said he was sorry, paid him off with $9,000 and said he would stop.

Brother A did not stop. A month and a half ago Brother B found out about more cards and more debt. It's now estimated that Brother A has tallied a $20,000 debt that Brother B has no way of ever paying and thus has destroyed his credit.

Brother B wants to go to the police but has conflicting issues about it(he's our brother, family, jail time, destroying everyone's families etc.)Brother A now won't return phone calls and is completely unwilling to do anything for Brother B now, except of course steal his money and destroy his credit.

I don't want a part of any of this but my concern was raised when i checked my credit report and found a Chase credit card with a high limit and a high balance that does NOT belong to me. The odd thing is that it was originally opened a year to the day as the Chase credit card i DO own, which carries a significantly lower limit and has never in the time that ive owned it been used, ever.

i called Chase bank and voiced many concerns about this and im terrified of what i am going to find out about this. The lady said she was forwarding this to be investigated in a different department and that i would hear back in 10-12 business days. I honestly do not want to wait that long. This card that is NOT mine is on MY credit report. I had her check to see if i was an authorized user on my brother's account(s) and she said as far as she saw that i was NOT. She also told me that sometimes a credit report messes up and adds someone's stuff with similar likeness in name to yours but that seems absolutely ridiculous-not to mention the coincidences that lay between these two same banks credit cards.

I don't know if i should finally break the silence and call my brother, telling him everything that i know and what he better not be doing to me. Personally i am not sure i even love my brother at this point in time. He has put me under extreme duress to the point of my boyfriend carrying a knife on him in his presence. Our relationship as siblings ended on very extreme terms and it has been made clear to me that he is not welcome in any aspect of mine and my boyfriend's lives.

Should i wait to hear back from the credit card company or call and have it out?

[drjoek]

I will not comment on all the details i feel for your pain there but my suggestion is that if you have concerns about your credit being afffected in any way that you are not responsible, you open up the wrath of God on whom ever has caused it. If your brother has done it he pays by what ever means is available to you. I do not know about your age or financial situation but a messed up credit situation will haunt you for the rest of your life, not just a few years. You will not be able to purchase a home, new cars will cost you significantly more every aspect of your life is attached to your "credit" Do not wait do not have any mercy family or otherwise.
Just my 2 cents

[JimBeam]

Firstly brother or not Brother B had better file a case w/ somebody as $20K in debt is nothing to brush off especially if you haven't reaped the benefits of the spending spree.

You should surely find out about this card in your name and I'm hoping for your sake the charges can be investigated to the time and place to determine that they aren;t yours.

What was the mailing and contact information for the card opened in your name ?

They should be able to provide that for you since in fact it is your name on the card.

[FUNKMAN]

hopefully an attorney or accountant on this board can give you sound advice. I just wish you the best outcome...

[grlNIN]

The told me that there was not any card opened with my name other than the one i gave her. However i dont know how truthful that can be if this is something that is showing up by my SSN and not a name, address. birthday, phone number.

She said i wasnt authorized on his accounts at all so i dont know how this card was opened, It's really frustrating me because if it's on my credit report it has something to do with me and Chase bank seems almost unwilling to really search for what exactly is going on.

I'm only 220 and i have fair credit as it stands, im still in school and i am very responsible with my money, i know better to get in over my head in financial situations and i fear a crippling credit history.

[MadMatt]

I will not comment on all the details i feel for your pain there but my suggestion is that if you have concerns about your credit being afffected in any way that you are not responsible, you open up the wrath of God on whom ever has caused it. If your brother has done it he pays by what ever means is available to you. I do not know about your age or financial situation but a messed up credit situation will haunt you for the rest of your life, not just a few years. You will not be able to purchase a home, new cars will cost you significantly more every aspect of your life is attached to your "credit" Do not wait do not have any mercy family or otherwise.
Just my 2 cents

I echo these sentiments. My ex-wife royally screwed up my credit (possibly out of spite, but I will never know), and it is making my life EXTREMELY difficult.

Use every option at your disposal to fix this situation - legally and completely. If it means "ratting out" your brother (who seems to be so in name only), do it. If done correctly you may even be able to help Brother B, since they will likely find out about these other activities when they research your situation.

As with the good Dr., just my opinion.

[Tenbatsuzen]

Ninny, until you have more information from the credit card company, I wouldn't confront your brother about it. You can make the situation infinitely worse if you go off half-cocked and find out that it's a different situation.

The situation can't get any worse, since there's only one card.... You've already raised a red flag about it, so the account will be frozen until the investigation is complete. (I think.... Missy?)

I would also recommned getting a credit check monitoring service. Even if you're not in an identity theft situation it's a good idea to keep your stuff in check.

[Doogie]

I have to say that brother or not. I would definitely be calling the cops and IRS to report his ass. Fraud is fraud and a crime is a crime. I don't give a shit who is committing it. It is tough to do with the fact that it is your family, but I would take that SOB down. Especially if he is living very opulently on someone else's credit. That is the fucked up part.

[angrymissy]

The told me that there was not any card opened with my name other than the one i gave her. However i dont know how truthful that can be if this is something that is showing up by my SSN and not a name, address. birthday, phone number.

She said i wasnt authorized on his accounts at all so i dont know how this card was opened, It's really frustrating me because if it's on my credit report it has something to do with me and Chase bank seems almost unwilling to really search for what exactly is going on.

I'm only 220 and i have fair credit as it stands, im still in school and i am very responsible with my money, i know better to get in over my head in financial situations and i fear a crippling credit history.

OK - pull your credit report, at best bull a tri-merged credit report from all 3 bureaus. There will be an "address" section. It will list all addresses associated with any credit lines on your credit report. If your brother applied for this card using your identity, and your SSN, but had the card mailed somewhere else, that address will appear there. If you see HIS address there, you should know right away it was him. If you see some shady address from across the country or something, it might be someone else that you don't even know. But you should be able to at least find some info out TODAY by pulling your own credit report. It will cost you around $30 to pull all 3, or you can start at www.equifax.com and www.experian.com and pull one from each for I think around $10.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I have to say that brother or not. I would definitely be calling the cops and IRS to report his ass. Fraud is fraud and a crime is a crime. I don't give a shit who is committing it. It is tough to do with the fact that it is your family, but I would take that SOB down. Especially if he is living very opulently on someone else's credit. That is the fucked up part.

Yes, but the first situation, she's not a victim of. She's an interested party, but not a victim. It's up to the brother B to file the complaint.

She's involved in a different situation and she has no evidence that her brother A did it to her other than circumstancial evidence that he's done it before.

This is why she has to find out what the situation is with Chase before confronting anyone about it.

[Tenbatsuzen]

OK - pull your credit report, at best bull a tri-merged credit report from all 3 bureaus. There will be an "address" section. It will list all addresses associated with any credit lines on your credit report. If your brother applied for this card using your identity, and your SSN, but had the card mailed somewhere else, that address will appear there. If you see HIS address there, you should know right away it was him. If you see some shady address from across the country or something, it might be someone else that you don't even know. But you should be able to at least find some info out TODAY by pulling your own credit report. It will cost you around $30 to pull all 3, or you can start at www.equifax.com and www.experian.com and pull one from each for I think around $10.

What she said. Missy, with the account that Ninny called about be flagged and frozen?

[angrymissy]

Also- you can totally avoid him (or anyone) touching your credit in the future by calling all 3 credit bureaus and putting a "Security Freeze" on your credit files. No one, including you, will be able to open an account until they contact you directly via whatever manner you authorize them to (phone, mail, etc.). It will make it a PITA if you want to apply for instant credit in a store or something, but will ease your mind, especially if your brother is hitting up everyone in the family's credit.

(I used to work in the fraud dept of a major credit card company)

[drjoek]

The told me that there was not any card opened with my name other than the one i gave her. However i dont know how truthful that can be if this is something that is showing up by my SSN and not a name, address. birthday, phone number.

She said i wasnt authorized on his accounts at all so i dont know how this card was opened, It's really frustrating me because if it's on my credit report it has something to do with me and Chase bank seems almost unwilling to really search for what exactly is going on.

I'm only 220 and i have fair credit as it stands, im still in school and i am very responsible with my money, i know better to get in over my head in financial situations and i fear a crippling credit history.

If your overweight it will be even worse!!

Im kidding
I assume you meant 20 yo old for that reason I would reemphasize my suggestion. The younger you are the harder it will be to establish good credit. and if you've been responsible you shouldn't start out behind the 8 ball. Plus don't put it beyond the realm of employers looking at your credit if you go to get a job. They don't want to hire liabilities.

[grlNIN]

OK well the thing with the addresses is this. I lived with him.

It shows the addresses and i see that they're all valid but if he applied for this card(keep in mind it was TWO years ago that this card was opened) then it would be the one address that we had both shared.

I just tried registering for Equifax but SURPRISE i already had an account there. O rly? I never signed up for one.

My dad is going to his house today to confront him about all this shit that he is vehemently denying, saying "he's stopped".

I told him i will print out the documentation on my credit report about this card and show it as proof if i have to.

I also told him to let him know that i already contacted the credit card company who've put the card under investigation, so if he has done anything illegal in THIS instance he is most certainly fucked.


I'm 22

[Tenbatsuzen]

I just tried registering for Equifax but SURPRISE i already had an account there. O rly? I never signed up for one.


Ninny, Liz and I had a major problem getting her information from Equifax.... and there were no identity theft problems.


When you got your credit report the first time to find out this problem, was it from Equifax? That might be what's going on.

(I've dealt with Equifax before and they aren't the best run company at times when I've dealt with them.)

[grlNIN]

I just went to get a report from TransUnion and it says there's already one on file...


The credit report i have right now is through my Amex account.

[furie]

i would wait to hear back from chase before saying anything.

[Crispy123]

That sucks. I feel for you and your family, I hope that your situation can get straightened out.

Everyone is entitled to a free credit report from each of the agencies once a year, you can get it here. (https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp) Good luck.

[JPMNICK]

i would wait to hear back from chase before saying anything.

i would too. there are SOOO many mistakes on credit reports. before you put even more strain on personal relationships in your family, wait to hear back.

and if he did do it, you have to go to the police and take care of it the right way. i know it sucks, but if not you are just going to get the runaround from him, and get screwed in the end.

[lleeder]

Regardless of what your credit report says I can't see how you can consider brother A a brother anymore. He clearly has no thought for his old family and is only concerned about his wife and new child. To rack up even a dollar on a family members account without them knowing is sleazy beyond belief. I hope everything works out for you.

[SmallFry]

After years and years of digging out of a hole I made myself, I would not want to deal with a situation not of my own making. I understand the family aspect of it for you and your brother b. If you have indeed been the victim of your brother, you hae to decide if the debt is worth eating as opposed to outing your brother by persuing the other option. What kind of person would do this to their own siblings? Would this same person do this to their children's identities since they are posses the SS number(s)? I know people that have.

Lastly, I'm not a customer of <a href="http://www.lifelock.com/">Lifelock.com</a>, but stories like this make me want to be. I hear their commercials all day on XM and never gave it much thought.

[angrymissy]

Lastly, I'm not a customer of <a href="http://www.lifelock.com/">Lifelock.com</a>, but stories like this make me want to be. I hear their commercials all day on XM and never gave it much thought.
You can do everything they do for free simply by contacting the credit agencies and asking for a "Fraud Alert", then checking on it in 90 days.

[SmallFry]

You can do everything they do for free simply by contacting the credit agencies and asking for a "Fraud Alert", then checking on it in 90 days.

I agree. It's for people like me who are to busy or lazy to do it. I do it and simply forget. Luckily I've not been had.

[BoondockSaint]

I could be wrong on this but I think that each time there is a check on your credit report it actually hurts your credit. I'm not sure if this happens when you personally check but I think it does when when you apply for a loan or new credit card and such.

[lleeder]

I could be wrong on this but I think that each time there is a check on your credit report it actually hurts your credit. I'm not sure if this happens when you personally check but I think it does when when you apply for a loan or new credit card and such.

That doesn't make sense. I could understand if you get denied but I doubt they penalize you for applying and getting accepted.

[angrymissy]

I could be wrong on this but I think that each time there is a check on your credit report it actually hurts your credit. I'm not sure if this happens when you personally check but I think it does when when you apply for a loan or new credit card and such.

It is a "soft" inquiry when you check it. It does not affect your store. When a lender pulls your report, it is a "hard inquiry". Multiple checks by companies for loans, credit cards, etc, will lower your score each time (1-2 points). The more you apply the more points are taken off. FICO looks unfavorably on applying for a lot of credit within a short period of time. After the inquiry is on there for 6 months, it does not affect your score any longer.

Ninny this may be another way to see if he's been screwing with your report, check the inquires and see if any credit was applied for that you did not apply for yourself

[drusilla]

i just sent the whole story to my brother in an email. he may be a retard in his personal life, but he's a pretty decent lawyer in his professional life so don't worry.

[JPMNICK]

i just sent the whole story to my brother in an email. he may be a retard in his personal life, but he's a pretty decent lawyer in his professional life so don't worry.

haha, that is one of the best descriptions of a sibling ever

[buzzard]

Geeesh,this one hit me pretty close to home.My brother passed away about 4 years ago instead of going through the grieving process as you'd expect,I'm still trying to clean up the phucking mess he made of my life.Some time ago,When I moved to AZ,I had to pay a $400. deposit for electric due to my so-called "bad-credit history" which I don't have,I went to get a cellphone and was told that I'm dead! Apparently dead brother used MY credit,SS# to get cable,electric,credit cards..etc..what I'm saying is don't let things get away from you.Brother or not If you suspect or find out someone is banging you put an end to it ...especially at your age,If you have probable cause (and you seem to!) Protect yourself! Look at what believing brother A got for brother B.? I really feel for you and yours.-buzz

[Bulldogcakes]

Wow. Very fucked up. Not even being able to trust your own family must be a very lonely feeling. If I were you I would've packed up and move across country by now, just to get as far away from them as possible. But in cases like this that won't help.

I would call him, you already know for a fact he's done this before and if he knows you're on to him, it might stop him in his tracks. Though I suspect it won't, since he didn't stop when his brother called him out on it before. This really looks like a train wreck headed your way, if I were you I'd whatever I could to stop it. Your family relations are already strained, this could destroy your future ability to buy a house and lead a normal life. I would do anything necessary to stop him. Family or not, nobody gets to ruin your life.

Also, I'd sign up immediately with one of THESE (https://www.wellsfargo.com/per/insurance/idtheft/)identity theft protection services type companies. They insure your losses, you'd be covered if anything happens. Read THIS (http://www.identitytheft.org/)to get some tips on how to deal with it if you want to do it yourself.

Good luck.

[Kris10]

Honestly, post this EXACT topic on creditboards.com and they'll give you the best advice. I :wub: them over there and use them more than you know.

Good luck and I would SO report it!

[FUNKMAN]

don't want to start a new thread for this and my apologies to NIN for piggybacking a question on this thread but it's about credit

when i recently purchased a car at Toyota the finance guy showed me my credit numbers. he showed me a piece of paper and it had one number at 834 and the other at 817. He said normally the first number is lower than the 2nd. can I consider these my 'official' credit numbers getting them from a car dealer?

[Tenbatsuzen]

don't want to start a new thread for this and my apologies to NIN for piggybacking a question on this thread but it's about credit

when i recently purchased a car at Toyota the finance guy showed me my credit numbers. he showed me a piece of paper and it had one number at 834 and the other at 817. He said normally the first number is lower than the 2nd. can I consider these my 'official' credit numbers getting them from a car dealer?

I wouldn't trust those numbers unless you have completely perfect credit with almost zero debt load.

The only way to get a FICO score is to check it yourself.

"850" is the perfect score.

[FUNKMAN]

I wouldn't trust those numbers unless you have completely perfect credit with almost zero debt load.

The only way to get a FICO score is to check it yourself.

"850" is the perfect score.

Thanks, you are the second person who told me that. I wasn't sure if he just hated car dealers?

[Kris10]

Thanks, you are the second person who told me that. I wasn't sure if he just hated car dealers?

annualcreditreport.com

ONLY site that is not junk and will allow you to get your credit report for free atleast once a year, depending on what state you reside in.

[Freitag]

annualcreditreport.com

ONLY site that is not junk and will allow you to get your credit report for free atleast once a year, depending on what state you reside in.

Rouski is correct. Sites that offer your "free" credit report usually come attached with some sort of credit monitoring service. And if you're not sure what you're doing, it can get really expensive really quick.

AnnualCreditReport.com is the one that's officially from the government with no strings.

I have a credit monitoring service, but it's offered through one of my banks and it's a pretty good deal - a small monthly fee, no contract, and I can cancel anytime.

[angrymissy]

Thanks, you are the second person who told me that. I wasn't sure if he just hated car dealers?

you can trust it. At a car dealership, they use a different FICO model, it's "Auto Enchanced FICO". If you have owned several cars/been on time with the payments/paid off cars and have good regular credit, it is very possible you have an auto FICO of over 800.