If you were a minor (15-17) and lied to obtain credit, can you dispute it and get it removed from your report?
Ok…I must admit. I was young and dumb. I received a credit card when I was 15 very easily over the phone by lying about my age. They even called me! Og course, knowing nothing about credit I did what a 15,16 year old would do - shop. Now at 22 me and my lying has hurt my credit score. It didn’t matter to me then but now I have graduate and trying to establish myself. Credit is essential in this process! I was going to dispute this stating that at the time of the contractual agreement I was a minor and it was the cc company’s responsibility to verify that my SSN and birth date matched. I read this in a credit forum. Is this true and does it work? Have anyone ever done this?
I will never do this sh*t again. I feel depressed and embarrased about my score when I try to obtain credit or a loan now. I need some serious advice. Thanks.
The account is/was charged off.
Ok, I have never touched the card when I was 18. I shopped (big) once and never paid anything. If the account was charged off after my 18th birthday will I be able to still dispute it as a minor?
To Mary B:
First thing first - I had no means of paying for the debt while in school. I have tried to reconcile this but they do not want to work with me. A 0 bill had turned into a 00 bill and I am not able to pay that. If I wanted to act like a 13 yr old I would just forget about it and let it get removed in 7 yrs (which is in one year). I am just researching my options before I committ to anything. That doesn’t sound 13 to me. Thanks for your response by the way.
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11 comments
Ramona H on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
you are absolutely not liable to pay off any credit card debt made as a minor.
it is the business’ obligation to check out to see if your birthday matches your SS number. if they dont and give you a credit card it fall’s on them. this is what you’ll need to do get copy’s of all credit report’s.
well just go to this site
Pengy on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Well what you did was commit fraud and if admitting it could be prosecuted for it, especially now that you are an adult. If you dispute is the fact will come out and be worse then just letting it fall off.
Marisa on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
well you have to be careful here i think. a slippery sloap. what you committed was fraud. and depending on the company you defrauded they may seek damages. i realize you were a minor but i’m not sure if you carried on this activity after you reached your majority. honestly, it might be in your best interest to seek legal help. try one of those free legal hotlines first and yes you must let the companies know in order to have the bad credit removed. another method you mgiht try is to contact the reporting agencies and show proof of birth and social security and state your current age and a statement of how could this be when you were a minor while these supposed charges were made. they would then contact the company in question and it’s up to the company to dispute or whatever…but again there is the fraud part. good luck!
KnottedBrain on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
I did the same thing when I was 16 and said I made $100,000 a year. I’ve always paid my bills on time and never got into trouble. I’m 25 now and I’ve got a $15,000 credit line. I don’t see why they would be upset unless you were delinquent on payments.
mikes_muse on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
You need to call the credit company and explain this to them , but it sounds like your credit is going to be in bad shape for 10 years. I think that is how long it is before credit info is taken off your credit history. good luck man, bad credit is a b***h.
john p on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
bad credit stays on record for 7 years. Seems like that incident will clear itself very soon. In the mean time suck it up.
Studly on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Lets start by ignoring the previous answers….another great collection of people who don’t have a clue.
The key is when you stopped using this card. If you used it after you turned 18, then you are going to be stuck with the debt, and stuck with the credit report. Sorry, I’ve seen this same thing before.
If you quit using it prior to 18, you can dispute this. You will have a bit more trouble getting it done but you can do it. Start be getting the debt validated in order to get records of the contract and bills, and when the debt was charged off. Present this, along with proof of your age, and that will clear it up.
But like I said, the key is if you used the card as an adult. If so you will not be able to get around it.
bdancer222 on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Morally, you should pay the bill. You did run the bill up. However, legally, a minor can’t sign a contract. That still might not get you off scott free.
In any case, that charged off credit card should be around 6 years or so and will fall off your credit report soon.
If you had been paying your other debts on time, that old charge off shouldn’t be making that much impact on your credit score. Do you have other negatives in your credit history?
Mary B on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
What you committed when you were 15 was actually a crime and bank fraud….they can actually prosecute you as a juvenile at 22, you would receive the same punishment that you would have at that same age and can even receive a felony conviction that they can retroactively leave on your record for 5 years….they can even petition the court to start it one day shy of your 18th birthday, which means you can’t get it removed until you are 23…this is unlikely, but if they wish to persue it, they can.
You may not be liable for the debt, but they can still criminally prosecute you.
It is not their responsibility to make sure your SS# and your DOB matched…it was your responsibility to not commit bank fraud. That is no different than if you picked up a random application and mailed it in…there was INTENT to defraud when you gave the false information.
At 22, you still sound like you are 13 years old living in the "I was a minor! I can do whatever I want and you can’t do anything to me because I was a minor!." You may find out the hard way that it doesn’t always work.
There was a case here where a kid when he was 16 years old stole a car and they didn’t get enough proof to prosecute until he was 19 years old…they successfully prosecuted him.
If you dispute it for that reason…I’ll give it 30 days before a Sheriff will deliver a notice on your door, as well as cancelling your card and reporting it to your CREDIT as a fraudulently obtained account…and yes, they CAN do that.
servo46250 on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Geez Mary B, You’re comparing apples to oranges.
Studly was right. If the card was obtained fraudulently or not at age 15, she cannot be prosecuted as an adult. It is the bank’s responsibility to verify the social security number to DOB of the applicant, and anything signed by a minor and used while a minor is invalid. It’s as if it never existed, because someone under 18 cannot be legally bound to a contract. Take Business Law 101 and you’ll learn this.
However, if you used it, made a payment, or had ANY activity once you turned 18, you are then legally liable for it, and it should be paid off. Your choices are pay it off, file Chapter 7 or 13, which doesn’t really do much to improve your score for 10 years, or just wait it out. If it was charged off at age 18, it should be off your report by age 25-26.
Willems_grandpa on December 20, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Yes. Yes. You can challenge It, and it will be removed I’m pretty sure.
Criminal law vs. Business law.
Will anyone prosecute you? Probably not.
Can they collect? Not with out a criminal conviction.
Does anyone BELIEVE a credit card company will not discount 50-75% after this long, to clear this up? NO they DON’T.