Is this illegal? Advice

BillyJean · ‎05-30-2014

Ok so I discovered this forum last august when I applied for the CSP which I was only applying for because I thought the card looked cool because it's metal. Anyway have not had a credit card in probably 8 years or more everything has been cash pretty much because when I was 20 discover gave me a 20k card no job in college and it got maxed out and I never paid it off or settled. Now I should of probably just filed for bankruptcy but I always thought I would pay it off. Well it eventually went to court I never went and a judgement was made and shortly after my car which was paid of about 25k a sheriff came to take it luckily I was not there or I would of lost it. Quickly put it in my dads name and never looked back.

So basically I have been renting still have same car and have not had another credit card since. So my credit history is pretty much non existant because I have not had many cards or things that report to my credit. One thing I do know is that for years I could not even get a credit card approval. Well all that changed last august started with the CSP my credit was between 550-650 and now I have applied for about cards since then mostly chase and all get approved. So far I have got the Chase sapphire preferred, freedom, chase ink cash, amazon chase, bill me later, best buy, amex plum, amex blue cash. Now I am really not applying for anymore cards because I think I reached my goal.

So the question is how I am getting these cards I mean I figure it probably shows other than school loans I have no debt because maybe the 20k does not show up anymore. I also still use my parents address when applying there house is worth 500k maybe chase factors that in. I put self employed because I really can't even prove my income I always put around 50k because that's what it's at its just hard to prove I don't claim most of it. I mean I don't think what I am doing is wrong and I pay off everything now and will never get even a late payment so I am mature enough to handle them I just don't know if I am gaming the system. I don't even have a business on paper just use my ssn. The reason why it is this way because when I have started a business in the past the collectors would find out and try to go after my assets. So I don't know if it's wrong to apply for cards this way but it actully is the truth in some way.

B335is · ‎05-30-2014

How long ago was this judgement? Have you looked at your reports lately?

BillyJean · ‎05-30-2014

Oh and I forgot I have had chase checking for years so I think that is a part of it. My goal is to double my CL by the end of the year since I do use all these cards I buy a lot of electronics and computers for consulting and sell them. My utilization goes kina high to like 80% and above because most of the cards have no interest for the next year so I don't pay them off in full like how I started in august. I want my credit score to go up and have my CL for buying power just don't know the fastest way to do it.

B335is · ‎05-30-2014

Just to add, it doesnt sound like you're being completely honest with the apps you've done. Yes it feels good to see approved! But you could wind up in a heap of trouble down the road due to any unforeseen circumstances.

BillyJean · ‎05-30-2014

@B335is wrote:
How long ago was this judgement? Have you looked at your reports lately?

Last october made 7 years and it no longer shows up on my report but I know i will have to pay it probably if I ever want to live worry free or buy a house.

B335is · ‎05-30-2014

You may be beyond your state's SOL in that case and its quite possible it's been sold to any number of Collection Agencies. The Rebuilding Forum may be able to answer that better.

gh17 · ‎05-30-2014

If you go to annualcreditreport.com you can get your free credit report and figure out what's on your report (if the 20k is still showing, for example).

Why can't you prove your income/what do you do? I personally wouldn't advocate getting business cards if you don't have a business, but I don't know the legality of it.

BillyJean · ‎05-30-2014

@B335is wrote:
Just to add, it doesnt sound like you're being completely honest with the apps you've done. Yes it feels good to see approved! But you could wind up in a heap of trouble down the road due to any unforeseen circumstances.

Yeah I'm not really doing it to see if I can be approved in my mind I'm still stunned even my friends and family are because sometimes they apply and they make more provable income and still get denied. I just always felt like since I was young when discover gave me a 20k card it was the same story I put self employed which I was but I was not making anywhere near 50k. I understand what you saying about not being honest because some months are slow and it feels like I am unemployed and technically I am. I mainly apply because of the bonus points and I do a lot of buying so might as well get points.

To me I thought having a higher CL total would increase my score and one of the biggest things hurting me now is credit history there is not many accounts in the past.

BillyJean · ‎05-30-2014

@gh17 wrote:
If you go to annualcreditreport.com you can get your free credit report and figure out what's on your report (if the 20k is still showing, for example).

Why can't you prove your income/what do you do? I personally wouldn't advocate getting business cards if you don't have a business, but I don't know the legality of it.

Well I checked my credit last august and was going to wait again till this august to do it and it did not show up but my score was still very low 600 range. And I have a business which is myself I am an IT consultant it's just I work with a lot of small business mainly so they mostly just write me a check or pay cash. I do claim some as I fill out a 1099 for some companies just not very often. The reason for this is when I did form an LLC a few years back I was bombard with collection attempts and I had partners it was very bad. So I have just tried to stay under the radar.

gh17 · ‎05-30-2014

@BillyJean wrote:
@gh17 wrote:
If you go to annualcreditreport.com you can get your free credit report and figure out what's on your report (if the 20k is still showing, for example).

Why can't you prove your income/what do you do? I personally wouldn't advocate getting business cards if you don't have a business, but I don't know the legality of it.
Well I checked my credit last august and was going to wait again till this august to do it and it did not show up but my score was still very low 600 range. And I have a business which is myself I am an IT consultant it's just I work with a lot of small business mainly so they mostly just write me a check or pay cash. I do claim some as I fill out a 1099 for some companies just not very often. The reason for this is when I did form an LLC a few years back I was bombard with collection attempts and I had partners it was very bad. So I have just tried to stay under the radar.

Well as far as the "is this illegal?" question goes, tax evasion is probably the first concern. I would pay whatever taxes you owe each year. Maybe this will trigger phone calls from collectors, I don't know, but if it's beyond the statute of limitations, they can't really do anything other than call. (And I think they have to stop calling if you write them a letter or something anyway? Maybe I made that up, not sure.)