A Reddit user’s story went viral after he revealed that his parents opened a credit card in his name without permission and ran up over $10,000 in debt to finance a cruise.
This Reddit post, which has received over 1,100 comments, highlights a disturbing trend of identity theft that has serious financial consequences for victims (or their loved ones).
Parents open a credit card
The anonymous user shared how they were completely taken by surprise when they received a letter from a debt collection agency demanding payment for a credit card they had never opened.
Upon investigation, they discovered that her parents had used the card to finance two cruises. At first, the user’s father denied any wrongdoing. Eventually, he admitted that both he and the user’s mother had opened the credit card in the name of their child and in the name of their siblings.
They claimed they wanted to pay it back, but the monthly payments were too high and they stopped. They advised their child to file for bankruptcy and the mother even suggested opening more credit cards first.
Although the cruise company was never mentioned, Reddit post sparked outrage and support within the Reddit community, where users offer advice on how to deal with the situation.
| The most upvoted comment urged the user to call the police, freeze his credits and warn his siblings. Many echoed the sentiment that the parents should face legal consequences for their actions and called their behavior criminal. |
This is not the first story of credit card fraud on cruise ships. Last November Carnival Cruise Line passengers arrested after opening credit cards and charging $2,000 to $20,000.
Tips for dealing with credit card fraud while traveling
- Report the fraud immediately: As soon as you suspect you have been a victim of credit card fraud, contact your credit card issuer to report the unauthorized transactions. This will help prevent further fraudulent charges and begin the process of disputing the transactions.
- File a police report: It is important to report identity theft to your local police department. A police report can be an important piece of evidence when dealing with credit bureaus and creditors, and also serves as an official record of the crime.
- Notify the FTC: File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC will issue an identity theft affidavit that can help you rebuild your credit.
