My credit report is a nightmare! Help?

[deaf]

Hello myFICO folks.

I just received my credit reports, and they don't look good. Every time I try to send a secured credit card application, I get denied immediately. I've gathered the credit reports as well as my scores (annualcreditreport), and it's safe to assume that my scores are below 470. According to CreditCheck Monitoring, my scores are in the range of 555-564, and I am not quite sure if they are accurate.

I had no idea my credit scores are really that bad. My father and I share a very similar first/last name, with different middle names, and he apparently used my social security in order to obtain credit cards. So many collections and two civil judgments. However, my father used his name while he used my social security. I can't see how I can remove that.

I don't know what the heck I am supposed to do at this moment. I'm thinking about making a claim that there are merged personal informations, but how do I do that? Because my father used my social security. I am screwed. According to CreditCheck, the primary names are my father's, not mine.

Please help!

[guiness56]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Don't even bother looking at the scores.  Those are FAKO and not FICOs.  They are good for educational purposes.

Are you sure he used your SSN and they really are not just merged reports?

[deaf]

@guiness

Well, he had medical bills that he never paid so they are now collections on my credit reports. I am sure he didn't use my SSN, but he used my SSN for obtaining credit cards, yes. He had debts in his credit cards that included my SSN (I wasn't aware of that). All of credit card debts are now collections.

[p-]

Sorry to hear about this...  You have a lot of work to do.  Your first step depends on the kind of relationship you have with your father.  He screwed you, pure and simple, with a criminal act... and the best way to fix this is to report it as a criminal act and let the chips fall where they may.  This could have legal ramifications for your father, so it might be a hard choice if you still have a relationship with him.

Your best case scenario is to treat it like any other identity theft.  Report it to the police, fill out an FTC fraud affidavit, and freeze your credit.  The freeze will keep any new accounts from being opened, and the police report and affidavit is what you need to dispute validity with the collector.  You don't have to tell them who you suspect did this to you, just that it was done.  But it will likely lead back to your father if he is responsible.  Read up on identity theft and follow the steps recommended.  And make sure you show up with the police report, affidavit, and records showing you notified the creditor to any court summons, or you will automatically lose.

On the other hand, if you are not willing to do this, then you and your father owe the money.  Again, freeze your credit to stop any new stuff, and treat it just like you spent it yourself...  Pay for deletions, negotiate settlements, work to avoid lawsuits, etc.

Good luck...

[guiness56]

To be very honest with you, the only way to get these removed would be to file an FTC Fraud Affidavit and a police report.  You would have to name your father.

For the collections that are his on your report, I would send the CAs a DV letter.  If they respond, send them documents showing both of your identification.  It should take care of it.

[p-]

Tough spot...

[guiness56]

Yes it is.  But unfortunately, one that is all to common.

[deaf]

I knew I'd get answers like that. I researched before making this thread in the hope of getting different answers on how to fix my credit reports. Thank you guys!

[ptilda]

The things we do for love... I was in a similar spot, but in OK, it's actually LEGAL for a husband to use the SSN of his wife to get an appartment for his new girlfiend, and there was nothing I could do. Your situation is fraud, and the fact that your father would do this to his child speaks volumes. He is probably like my ex, and no one has effectively stood up to him in the past, so he continues to do these things.

I would file the report, because the cost to you in the end will not be worth it. Of course, you could also dispute as not yours, and the'd have to prove that it was you who agreed and signed. You could "play dumb" and just say you don't know who it was, or be secifically vague. If you start there, it's up to the professionals to catch the perp...or not. And since it's your father, you might feel better about distancing yourself. But please don't accept this as something you have to take. It is he who victimized you knowingly and seemingly without concern for you. You have no obligation to keeping his secret at your own expense.

On the other hand, I ended up having to wait it out, and that wasn't as long as a time as I thought it would be. If you choose to take that path, there are things you can do in the meantime.

For one [getting on my soapbox], go to a bank or credit union, explain the situation and ask if they will set you up with a credit builder loan or something to help you show SOME responsible payments while you're waiting for this to go away.

[guiness56]

---

@ptilda wrote:

The things we do for love... I was in a similar spot, but in OK, it's actually LEGAL for a husband to use the SSN of his wife to get an appartment for his new girlfiend, and there was nothing I could do. Your situation is fraud, and the fact that your father would do this to his child speaks volumes. He is probably like my ex, and no one has effectively stood up to him in the past, so he continues to do these things.

I would file the report, because the cost to you in the end will not be worth it. Of course, you could also dispute as not yours, and the'd have to prove that it was you who agreed and signed. You could "play dumb" and just say you don't know who it was, or be secifically vague. If you start there, it's up to the professionals to catch the perp...or not. And since it's your father, you might feel better about distancing yourself. But please don't accept this as something you have to take. It is he who victimized you knowingly and seemingly without concern for you. You have no obligation to keeping his secret at your own expense.

On the other hand, I ended up having to wait it out, and that wasn't as long as a time as I thought it would be. If you choose to take that path, there are things you can do in the meantime.

For one [getting on my soapbox], go to a bank or credit union, explain the situation and ask if they will set you up with a credit builder loan or something to help you show SOME responsible payments while you're waiting for this to go away.

---

Please do not tell him to dispute and play dumb.  He is well aware of who it is.  Not only is this a violation of the TOS of the forums, by lying he could face charges also.

And no, a dispute through the CRAs does not require proof he agreed and signed.