Credit Card Fraud Question

[tqf258]

So heres a fun one......

A few weeks ago my niece was asked by her best friend for her SSN and Date of Birth so that she could be put as beneficiary on her insurance policy since she is the GodMother to her friends daughter.

Niece gives said information and paperwork gets filed, we think.
Then today niece gets a call that someone is trying to open credit cards in her name. A little questioning and sister finds out the the "Friend" has bad credit and "Borrowed" nieces information to get "a few" credit cards, but no worries she will pay them off and never meant to do anything wrong.......

Question is what would you do?
What should she do to make sure that other cards cant be open, as the girl has all of her information?

I have no experience in this luckily, but figured someone here could help.

[MooseBucks]

Question is what would you do?
What should she do to make sure that other cards cant be open, as the girl has all of her information?

I have no experience in this luckily, but figured someone here could help.

She needs to place an extended fraud alert on her credit reports. It will include her contact information so that before any credit can be opened they should contact her directly through the information on the Fraud Alert.

How does she know the "friend" will be paying back what she opened? Has she contacted the police?

[StormRichards]

I would call the police in addition to putting the fraud alerts on the credit reports

[rennigade]

I would call the police in addition to putting the fraud alerts on the credit reports

Yup...get this stuff documented...a crime was committed. Your nieces best friend now has her SSN forever. Who's to say the "friend" isnt going to use that info 10 years down the road?

[Thrif-t]

Yikes, ditto on what everyone else said plus I'd freeze my credit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/article...it-freeze-faqs.

You have to call each of the 3 credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian & TransUnion to do it and then nothing(loans, credit cards) can be opened in nieces name. However niece can't open anything either, she will need to "lift" the freeze anytime she wants to get a loan. There may or may not be a fee to do this. I live in OH and we have to pay $5 to place the freeze and $5 to unfreeze it. I think some states are free.

When you want to get a loan you can ask the issuer which agency they pull a report from and only unfreeze that one, and then put the freeze back on when the loan is issued.

I froze our credit about 5 or so years ago. With all these hacks, I didn't want to have to worry about it anymore. Best thing ever! Sorry your niece is having to deal with this.

[sv2007]

Then today niece gets a call that someone is trying to open credit cards in her name. A little questioning and sister finds out the the "Friend" has bad credit and "Borrowed" nieces information to get "a few" credit cards, but no worries she will pay them off and never meant to do anything wrong.......

Question is what would you do?
What should she do to make sure that other cards cant be open, as the girl has all of her information?

I have no experience in this luckily, but figured someone here could help.

she can lock her credit reports at the credit agencies for free. once locked (or frozen, whatever the term is), no credits can be opened.