NEED TO KNOW
A woman on Reddit found out that her husband had been using her Social Security number and opening multiple accounts in her name without her knowledge
She also learned that multiple of the accounts have overdue balances, affecting her credit score
Despite these accounts being in her name, she doesn’t have access to them, and she admitted to feeling “overwhelmed” and “scared”
A woman was left “overwhelmed” and “scared” after learning her husband had been using her Social Security number and opening accounts in her name.
On Reddit, the 28-year-old explained that she has been married to her 29-year-old husband for two years and they have been together for five.
“Throughout our relationship, my husband has repeatedly used my Social Security number without my knowledge or consent,” she wrote. “I discovered this after receiving mail at our home showing that he had run hard credit checks with multiple credit card companies in my name. He as in ME was denied due to my credit being inactive for over five years.”
After being denied, he began using payment plan services, which she thought didn’t require a Social Security number. However, she later learned that he had opened accounts in her name, which did impact her credit.
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Stock image of a stressed couple signing divorce documents.
“More recently, I went through his phone and found that many of our bills are past due. The most alarming discovery was that he opened a car financing plan in my name at his former place of employment—without me being present or aware at the time of paperwork,” she wrote. “The vehicle was brought to our home without me even signing due to him being employed there.”
The woman noted that she does not have access to the accounts, so she cannot simply go in and pay the bills; her husband has to.
She noted that the account “had previously been so delinquent that repossession [had] been threatened,” yet when she emphasizes the importance of paying on time, it often results in arguments.
“What makes this even more confusing and painful is that he frequently threatens divorce over what he calls ‘communication issues,’ while this is what I’m dealing with behind the scenes,” she wrote. “On top of the emotional stress, I feel like my financial stability and future are being actively jeopardized.”
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Stock image of a couple upset.
“I’ve been seriously considering divorce, but I don’t even know where to begin to get this situation under control,” she continued. “I’m terrified that if we separate, he’ll continue to use my Social Security number. I honestly don’t know how I’ll recover from the damage already done to my credit without my consent.”
Adding yet another layer, she noted that her husband is also listed on her bank account, and he “regularly transfers money from our account into his PayPal without my permission.”
“I feel overwhelmed, scared, and unsure of what steps to take next,” she ended, asking for advice from the Reddit community.
Dozens of commenters encouraged the woman to contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
“Lawyer up. You should also consider filing a police report for identity theft so you can eventually get your credit back,” one user wrote. “That’s a real long slog, but I think you have to do that to get a new SSN so he doesn’t have access.”
They continued, “First thing you need to do is close your bank account and open a new one at a completely different bank. If he ruins your ability to have a bank account, it makes everything worse. Cut off his access to your money and put a credit freeze on all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Freezing your credit is free and can be done online. Get out of the house and away from him. Once he knows you’re cutting off his money, there’s no telling how he’ll react.”
Read the original article on People