A frustrated Reddit user said they discovered their father had secretly opened 15 credit cards under their name, leaving them buried under roughly $94,000 in debt and facing a badly damaged credit score.
‘I Honestly Have No Idea What That Means’
“Last week, I checked my credit report because I noticed something weird with one of my bank accounts,” the poster wrote on Reddit. “It showed that I apparently had 15 active credit cards I never applied for.”
According to the post, about $28,000 of the debt came from legitimate student loans, but the remaining balance was tied to personal credit accounts they said they never opened.
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The emotional fallout appeared just as overwhelming as the financial damage.
“I feel betrayed, furious, and completely lost,” the poster said. “Do I confront him directly, talk to a lawyer, or go straight to the banks?”
The person also said they felt conflicted about involving law enforcement.
“I really don’t want to press charges against my dad because my younger sister still depends on him, but I can’t ignore what he did to me either,” the post said.
The story quickly drew hundreds of comments, with many warning that failing to report the fraud could result in years of financial hardship.
“You report him for credit fraud and get your name cleared because it will ruin your entire life,” one commenter wrote. “He chose to destroy your future, so…”
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Long-Term Damage
Commenters urged the poster to immediately freeze their credit, contact banks and file a police report. Others warned that the younger sister could also become a victim.
“He has almost certainly done this to your sister,” one commenter wrote.
The original poster later responded that their sister was still a minor.
However, many commenters pushed back, explaining that identity theft involving children is more common than many people realize.
“Your sister is not too young for a credit card,” one commenter replied. “The day a child is born and a social security number is made, your parents can use that social security number and open a credit card.”
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As the discussion continued, the poster appeared to accept that legal action may be unavoidable.
“I think you’re right, I’ll tell my lawyer and report it to the bank,” the person wrote.
Several people shared similar personal stories involving parents or relatives secretly opening …
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