For months, he couldn't figure it out. His credit score was in the gutter, and no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find the reason.
“Maybe I forgot an old bill,” he thought. “Maybe something went to collections without me noticing.” Like many people, he blamed himself.
His Worst Fear Was Living In The Same House
In a recent post on Reddit's r/entitledparents, this person explained the shocking moment he discovered the real reason behind his financial mess. While applying for something simple, the bank employee casually asked, “You've had these accounts since 2022, correct?”
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“I swear I felt my soul leave my body,” he wrote. Turns out, the person responsible was his own mother.
“My mom stole my identity almost three years ago,” he said. “Opened accounts, missed payments, racked up balances… the whole disaster package.”
When he confronted his mom, she didn't deny it. In fact, her response was jaw-dropping: “You didn't need good credit for anything anyway.”
The Redditor, now stuck with years of missed payments and debt he never authorized, has had to rebuild his credit from the ground up. He's using a secured card that only lets him spend what he already has, calling it “the first thing in months that feels… safe.”
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Reddit Had One Obvious Message: Report Her
The post quickly blew up, with many Redditors urging him to go straight to the police.
“File a report for identity theft and give the police report to the credit bureaus and they’ll investigate and wipe the racked up balances, opened accounts, missed payments,” one person wrote. “She committed a felony. Several, actually.”
Another added, “Your mom didn't care about you, why wouldn't you return the favor?”
Many pointed out that without a police report, there's no way to get fraudulent accounts wiped from his credit record. One person explained, “Most credit bureaus want a police report in order to begin removing things from your credit history.”
Others emphasized that this isn't just about credit, but perhaps more importantly, about boundaries.
“You forgot one important step: cut ties with that person who is no longer family,” one Redditor said. “Stealing in general is bad, but never steal from family.”
Another wrote, “Tell her she doesn’t need freedom anyway, see how she likes that logic when the cops show up.”
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This Happens More Than You Think
The replies were full of people sharing similar stories of family members opening credit cards, taking out loans, or even draining bank accounts in their child's name.
One person shared that their mother opened an electric bill in their name when they were just three years old. Others admitted they regret not reporting their own parents for similar offenses.
“Ten years later, I still regret not filing charges,” one person wrote. “Still cannot have a normal life.”
And another person said, “She did this because she thinks no one will hold her accountable. Prove her wrong.”
At the end of the day, the lesson Reddit stressed was that family doesn't get a pass to ruin your future. Whether it's your parent or a stranger, identity theft is identity theft.
For the Redditor, the road ahead may be long, but the message from the community is consistent: protect yourself, report the crime, and start rebuilding.
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