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Using family data could amount to fraud

On Behalf of | Jan 18, 2023 | White Collar Crimes

As close-knit family members, you likely share many things without asking. Perhaps you know you can borrow your sister’s dress or your mother’s earrings without a problem. Likewise, your dad knows they can take your car if they need to run to the shops, or take your boat out when they visit the holiday cabin.

Unfortunately, that freedom of exchange does not extend to your identity, at least as far as the law is concerned.

You cannot use someone else’s identity to apply for financial products

Need a loan and already maxed out your options? You cannot just take your dad’s information and apply for one in their name. The same applies to credit cards and other such products.

If you need to get money in their name, you need to ask them to do it themselves

It’s a bit like taking your mum’s jewelry without asking. While she might be fine with it, what if she gets upset about the hours she spent turning the house upside down to look for it? What if she rings the police to report it stolen? You can avoid those problems by asking.

In the case of financial products, the person might not find out until they receive their statement. Their instant reaction might be to ring the bank, who then investigate and instigate fraud proceedings against you once they discover you did it. Alternatively, your family member may feel you overstepped the mark and be so upset about it to report you to the authorities themselves.

Having every intention to tell your family member later or to repay the money before they even notice is not a valid defense against fraud charges. You will need experienced legal help to create defense arguments that are.

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