Help! Someone Opened a Credit Card in My Name!
One of the scariest and most infuriating moments in your life may occur when you realize "Someone has opened a credit card in my name" and this person has maxed it out and left your credit history in a shambles. You might have learned about the fraudulent card after checking your credit report because your application for a credit card or another loan was turned down. You then might have realized there was a past-due balance on an account you weren't even aware of. If someone has opened a credit card in your name without your permission—an example of identity theft—there are steps you must take to clear up the problem and restore your good credit.1 Reporting the Fraud to the Card Issuer Find out the name of the credit card issuer for the unauthorized account and contact the company's fraud department to have the account closed or frozen. You can get the credit card issuer's name from your credit report and then go to the card issuer's website to get contact i...