Police Report for ID Theft

I am just guessing here but I would think they would forward this report on to the companies that are trying to collect this debt and treat it as an identity theft as you were unaware of this transpiring.

Someone will be along shortly to advise you further I am sorry for your loss.

hi linpat--

first, I am very sorry for your loss.

As far as the police report goes, there is no definitive answer here, because different departments will handle it differently. I can offer up a likely scenario to you however, and hopefully it will put you a bit at ease as you go through the process of handling these matters.

Consider this--someone breaks into your car, but they get scared off before they have the chance to take anything. Most police departments that I have worked with personally will take a report, and file it in case something else comes of it. I imagine that a similar thing would happen with this--if you genuinely had no idea that he put you on the accounts, then what can the police do? Their suspect would be deceased, therefore there is no case anymore. However, I caution you to be honest completely in this process--if they do investigate and find that you knew your name was being put on an account, or if they find that you even signed the application, then they could go after you for filing a false police report. Thats a criminal offense.

Now, on to the details--did you truthfully not know that he put your name on as a co-signor? This can be hairy, because co-signors are typically required to sign and provide identification before the account is approved. If this was done without your knowledge, then it is not ID theft, because no one claimed to be you. It would be fraud, actually, because you would have been fraudulently listed as a willing co-signor on those accounts.

ONe more thing--and this is a big one--do NOT trust collection agencies simply because they tell you that you were a co-signor. There are more than a lot of CA's out there that will say anything as long as it will get them a payment, even if they get it from the wrong person entirely. If these accounts are placed with collection agencies or if they were bought by a debt buyer, then send a debt validation letter. You can find one of these in the "do it yourself" link at the top of the page. Be sure to send any letters to debt collectors by certified mail, return receipt requested so you will have a record of them getting it.

I've also heard of OC's and CA's trying to get "Authorized Users" to pay on CC accounts they are in no way legally responsible for. An authorized user does not sign the CC contract, they are just authorized by the CC holder to use the card. The original CC signor is the one ultimately responsible for the bill.

Make sure this CA is not trying to rip you off in that respect, also.

no, I don't really know what he did. I started receiving calls shortly after he died. Then they started sending me the bills. One of the accounts lists his name, the other one does not. But when I got them to send me the old statements, his name was on it also.
The cc company says they are both in my name and my name only so they must be my debts. Talking to them is like talking to a stump!
All I know is I never signed anything, never showed anyone my ID, and furthermore, never heard of the two stores where he opened these accounts! I'm only guessing that he put my information on the accounts somehow, because my credit was better than his........it's a nightmare!