Mother steals $8,000 from daughter with tax refund and credit card opened in her name, then asks her to help with new schemes when confronted

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Mar 10, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Some moms bake cookies. Others knit sweaters. And then there are moms who open credit cards in your name, steal your tax return, and pitch you on a multi-step fraud scheme like it's the next big family business. And this one person hit the jackpot in the third category.

It's a uniquely special feeling when the person who taught you to ride a bike is now teaching you how to commit identity theft. Just imagine the family dinners! "Pass the salt—oh, and don't forget to dispute those fraudulent charges I made. Thanks, sweetie." Nothing says love like turning your kid's credit score into a Dumpster fire so you can retire early.

Family trees have always been suspiciously shaped like pyramid schemes, but this one is taking it literally. Forget fatherly love and motherly wisdom—this is motherly fraud at its most entrepreneurial. Who needs a retirement plan when you've got offspring to bankroll your golden years with their stolen tax returns and trashed credit scores?

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  • What’s left isn’t just a branch broken off the family tree; it’s the whole tree turned into a front for a multi-level scam. The woman who once taught you about sharing is now sharing your financial future with collection agencies, proving that in this family, “roots” means rooting through your bank account. Mother knows best? No, mother scams best.

  • "Mom both opened a credit card in my name AND stole my tax return. Plus she wants me to help her commit fraud. I'm out $8000 and I'm freaking out."

    "She said she needed the money because she wants to retire soon❞
    via Leylaynr

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Long story short I found out my tax return was filed (and completely wrong) and it was sent to an old bank account where I guess I still have a joint account with my mom from when
    via trashmythrowaway6
  • I was a teenager. After I got a notification that my tax return was already accepted, I started looking into it and found my mom did it and already withdrew the money.
    via trashmythrowaway6
  • On top of that, I found a credit card on my credit which wasn't mine. It has about a $5000 balance and the listed address is my mom's house. She freely admitted to opening the account
    via trashmythrowaway6

  • Hey sis! i need three more credit cards please

    Cheezburger Image 10477853184
    via halfpoint

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • and filing the taxes. She said she needed the money because she wants to retire soon. She also asked if she can open a few more credit cards then have me claim them all as fraudulent once she
    via trashmythrowaway6
  • has maxed them out. She said she can charge everything to a business account she would make in my name, withdraw everything to a bank account, get the cash, then I could say I was hacked.
    via trashmythrowaway6
  • Beyond freaking out right now. I haven't spoken with her since Monday when she said this. What do I do
    via trashmythrowaway6
  • ViAllulaby Report her to the cops that's it
    via ViAllulaby
  • Creative-Series-933 This is a crime. If you keep allowing her to continue you yourself can possibly be arrested. Her immediate gain will also damage your credit severely.
    via Creative-Series-933
  • Next_Negotiation_407 Do not pay on the credit card. Report everything to the police and the IRS. When you get a police report number, contact the credit card company and advise them of the fraud and provide the police report information.
    via Next_Negotiation_407
  • scottyengr Very sorry that family, especially your mother would do something like this. You should file a police report, and immediately freeze all of your credit.
    via scottyengr
  • Leading-Eye-1979 As noted file a complaint with police for identity theft. Freeze your credit reports and notify IRS
    via Leading-Eye-1979
  • Cheezburger Image 10477852928
    via South_agency

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Appropriate_Gate_701 You have no recourse other than a police report and reaching out to lawyer.
    via Appropriate_Gate_701
  • matt-r_hatter There's no reason to freak out at all. Go to your local police department and file a fraud report. Once you have a report number, contact the IRS and report it to them as well. She has committed multiple felonies and will be spending a few years in a federal prison. Do not
    via matt-r_hatter
  • hesitate. Go right now and file the report. Stop looking at her as your mom. She is not your mom. A mother would never do that to their child. She's a felon and should be treated as such.
    via matt-r_hatter
  • agowan6373 Report everything as fraud now. That's the only way to come back from this. Put a freeze on all your credit reports, and enable a pin so no one can claim you without that number. I guarantee you, if she did this before, she will do it again.
    via agowan6373
  • zebostoneleigh Do al three of these. Not one. Not two. ALL THEEE: Call the banks. Call the cops. Freeze your credit:
    via zebostoneleigh
  • Magdovus She wants you to commit multiple frauds. This doesn't end well. Does she think that the banks don't know about this kind of plan? It's been tried before and it's notable that you're likely to be the one on the hook here.
    via Magdovus
  • Melodic-Classic391 Report this to the police and then provide the police report to the CC company and IRS. Also please lock down your credit
    via Melodic-Classic391
  • celticmusebooks Do you live at home with your mom? Do you work full time with sufficient income to file on your own? Did your mom file the taxes as you OR did she file and use you as a dependent?
    via celticmusebooks
  • IMMEDIATELY-- like the second you finish reading this-- freeze your credit with all three bureaus. That will keep your mom from moving forward with her plans to keep using you to commit crimes. THEN take
    via celticmusebooks
  • the credit report to the police and file a report for identity theft. With that police report you can contact the creditors and the reporting agencies and have the fraudulent cards removed from your credit report.
    via celticmusebooks
  • If you aren't living with your mom and eligible to be claimed as a dependent then go ahead and file a paper/snail mail tax return. It may take a while before you get your refund but you will AND they will start sending you a PIN each year so your mom won't ever be able to file under your name again.
    via celticmusebooks
  • Your mom won't go to jail for such a small amount unless she fails to repay the fraudulent tax return. Be careful if the credit card company tries to get you to make "good faith" payments
    via celticmusebooks
  • while it gets sorted out. If you make ANY sort of payment you'll be accepting responsibility for the debt and you'll be screwed.
    via celticmusebooks
  • DO get reports from all three agencies while you freeze your credit in case there are other open lines of credit or credit cards. I'm sorry your mom is such a failure as a parent.
    via celticmusebooks

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