credit card fraud (a father used sons name on credit cards)

[jenaw3]

My boyfriends father has the same name as him and while my friend was at college he attempted to accept his sons credit card applications in the mail and take the cards and it was simple for him to activate the cards since he knows his sons SSN.
Now the problem that is even worse is that his father isn't and hasn't paid any of the credit cards and my friends credit is totally ruined. He'll never get a house, car, etc....
One of his cards only had a limit of $400 and the minimum due on it is now $900. Of course he can't get this off his credit right now. My boyfriend doesn't talk to his father since his dad seems to screw everyone over.
He is now considering taking his father to court for Fraud.
The debt accumulated from his father is over 10K at this point. He hasn't paid any of the cards and doesn't really care to pay them. He just says, "oh well I screwed up, take me to court and I'll go to jail." Which puts my boyfriend in a bad position.
His dad also has problems w/ gambeling and running up his company credit cards, then having them taken away and his wages garnished.
The reason I am upset is because I don't want this debt and bad credit in our relationship when we do get married.
Anyway, any advice or similar situations out there would be so much appreciative.

 

[bigun]

Your BF needs to follow up on the fraud charge. He needs to file a police report and let the chips fall where they may. Next, he needs to let the cc companies fraud unit know what action he had taken and then fo;;ow up with a copy of the police report.
Finally, he needs to contact all 3 Credit Reporting Agencies and have a fraud alert place on his account. Any attempt at obtaining credit under his ssn will trigger an inquiry. All mail needs to be done RRR.
This is gonna be a pain but, he may as well get started. It won't fix itself.

 

[jenaw3]

I'd also like to know that when this does get all cleared up will all of those credit cards that my boyfriend didn't use and his father ran up and refused to pay, will they be cleared from his credit report once we go to court?

 

[bigun]

Jemwa,

Hopefully before you go to court. File the complaint, get a copy of the complaint and send that to the cc companies along with a statement that your BF is a victum of fraud and to clear his report. It'll take some time. Also, be sure he list himself as a fraud victum with the e CRA's.
Let me recommend another site with some very knowledgeable people who know how to deal with creditors and CRA's. www.creditnet.com has a free discussion board. Post your story over there for other ideas.