Help with real problem debt (credit card)not in my name

alpha47_2

Hi I am new to this board and have been trying to find a way to ask for help with this for weeks.

It is a credit card debt(company that deal with older people) in my mothers name, but she gave me her card years ago and I ran up the debt. We were all unwell and spent it on supporting my son. Just supplements doctors bills (they dont know much about ME/CFS on NHS)

My mum is 89 and had a mini stroke not long ago and is not aware of the situation. I have been making the repayment on what was £8000 for about 3 years. It is now just under £6000, but I am really struggling and I wrote and asked could I make payments of £80.00 per month and freeze the interest. he company do not want to know and have not really replied to my letters.They did acknowledge it, I think they suspect I am not my mother!

What can I do? I know that using another persons card is fraud, really very stupid, but just never got round to asking for another card on the account and now circumstances have changed. I want to pay the card off, I do not want to have to worry my mother as she is not up to it. It could make her more ill.

Can anybody help advise. I have very few other debts, but cannot keep up the repayments as I have been ill myself and my son is has ME/CFS.

ladysparklexx

hi im sorry but i cant be much help with the credit card, but i myself suffer from ME and have done for many years, i recently went to the citizens advice and did a benefit review and found i wasnt on anywhere near as much as i was entitled to, just thought it might be worth you doing which might help out money wise

Eager_Elephant

Can you confirm the minimum payment at the moment?
Have you defaulted or anything yet?
I take it all the statements come to you and your mother has not seen them.

The best option would be to confess to the company and admit that you spent the money and now you are paying it back on behalf of your mother as she is elderly and infirm. Explain that she does not have the income to pay this off and you cannot afford the full payment and send an income and expenditure.

Obviously the above may be slightly harder as you have already sent a letter pretending to be your mother so they may get suspicious.

EE

alpha47_2

Hello

The repayments are £170 per month, but with the interest its taking years to pay off. Yes they come to my address I filled in the change of address form years ago, sent the card back and said the debt had become difficult. Then just paid every month. The last payment got lost in the banking system, the reference was incorrect, so things started to happen. I then wrote to them and asked please could they freeze the interest and let me pay £80 per month. They found the payment. I paid £80 this month and they are not happy, I do not think they intend being very nice. £80 was a good offer and with no interest I could have eventually paid it off.

I could say I am acting for my mum cause she is not up to it, but the mess just gets worse!

I would phone them and tell them the truth, but what is the worst they can do? My son needs me, and am worried silly right now.
Thanks for your help.

justruth

It might not be the best advice in the world, but I always find that at times like these it's best to just 'fess up'.

There are a couple of ways of doing this, 1 is to go to the CAB, tell them what you did and see if they can help, or 2 write to the company telling them exactly what you put on here. They may report you to the police but I very much doubt that much will come of it as you are confessing to the fraud, you may get a caution, and it will affect your future credit rating but that shouldn't be that much of an issue.

At the end of the day the CC company is only interested in how it will be paid back, if you can make an arrangement to do that then they don't really care about anything else! You may even find that as the fraud was against your mother, and she won't want to press charges, you won't even get reported. It's not like you really did this for profit, and you have been trying to pay it back.

We all do silly thins when we are faced with situations that we can see no other way out of, don't beat yourself up about it anymore.

alpha47_2

Thanks for the help, you lot on this board are really great.

Think I will get in touch on Monday see if I can stop it getting any worse.

mountainofdebt

I'm only asking as it may be an idea to apply for a credit card in YOUR name and do a balance transfer from your mum's card onto your card.

This would have the advantage of trasnferring the debt to a 0% card (and I appreciate that a balance transfer fee may apply) so the interest would stop for a little while (you can always tart the balance once your introductory period ends) and could stop you getting into trouble for fraud.

Of course it also becomes easier to deal with with you find that you can't meet the monthly payments as you can speak to the company as you rather pretend to be your mum.

Just an alternative solution perhaps?

alpha47_2

mountainofdebt wrote:

I'm only asking as it may be an idea to apply for a credit card in YOUR name and do a balance transfer from your mum's card onto your card.

This would have the advantage of trasnferring the debt to a 0% card (and I appreciate that a balance transfer fee may apply) so the interest would stop for a little while (you can always tart the balance once your introductory period ends) and could stop you getting into trouble for fraud.

Of course it also becomes easier to deal with with you find that you can't meet the monthly payments as you can speak to the company as you rather pretend to be your mum.

Just an alternative solution perhaps?

Hi
Thanks for that, I do not think my credit card rating is good. I had CCJ,s about 8 years ago but had to have the court reduce them and they count against you. I do have a credit card in my name but its a high interest Barclays which I would like to get rid of, they would probably have a laugh if I ask to transfer £5000 at there lowest rate (but that would not hurt me) so might ask the question.

Not been able to work for about three years because of being ill and so it is a struggle.

Thank you for the thought.

rog2

You could ask your mum to add a second card, in your name, and you could then apply to CC company to take over the card, then try to negociate a payment plan.

alpha47_2

rog2 wrote:

You could ask your mum to add a second card, in your name, and you could then apply to CC company to take over the card, then try to negociate a payment plan.

Don't think that will work, I sent the credit card back in pieces about 3 years ago and started paying off the debt. I am trying to keep my mum out of it as the worry could make her more ill, she is 89 and quite frail.

Think I need to come clean with card company and tell them what I did, my mum does not know, and I think I am the person who therefore defrauded the CC company. I would have asked them ages ago, but when you start somthing which is a lie, the lie gets bigger when you try to cover it up.

rog2

alpha47 wrote:

Don't think that will work, I sent the credit card back in pieces about 3 years ago and started paying off the debt. I am trying to keep my mum out of it as the worry could make her more ill, she is 89 and quite frail.

Think I need to come clean with card company and tell them what I did, my mum does not know, and I think I am the person who therefore defrauded the CC company. I would have asked them ages ago, but when you start somthing which is a lie, the lie gets bigger when you try to cover it up.

Are they still adding charges and interest? If so could you explain that the card is no longer being used and that you would like to negociate a payment plan, subject to freezing of interest and charges. I don't know, given the circumstances, if you would be able to claim back any charges, though.