Credit fraud questions

Factual Questions
1

I recently discovered that a certain person obtained a credit card using my toddler’s name and Social Security number. I contacted the bank that issued the card, and they put me in touch with their security people so we could figure out why a 2-year-old had a Visa card. They closed the account and were quite helpful in ascertaining exactly who did this.

Now I’ve found that the same person used my own information to run up a $95 bill with Ebay, as I received a notice from a collection agency for this debt. I’ve never used Ebay in my life, so I’m disputing that debt via a letter to the collection agency.

Is there anything else I would need to do to clear my baby’s credit record of that fraudulent debt? And is there anything else I should do to fix the Ebay debt on my own record?

Also, what is likely to happen to the person who did this? Does this qualify as identity theft, or just fraud? And which is a more serious offense?

Just trying to cover all my bases, here, as neither me nor the tot need any black marks on our credit. So once I get this snafu cleared up, will it vanish from both credit reports entirely, or will it still be there with some sort of notation?

2

Identity theft and identity fraud are generic names for a group of crimes where somebody illegally takes and uses another’s personal info. Here’s a Department of Justice page on identity theft, how to avioid it, and what to do if you’ve become a victim of it.

3

And another from the Federal Trade Comission.

4

Thanks for the helpful links. Now I’ve filed a complaint with the FTC, so we’ll see what comes of it.

Suppose there’s any chance the Feds might show up at the front door to arrest the perpetrator? Do they really follow up on this stuff?

5

You’ve done the easy step.

Now you should go further and make sure that identity theft hasn’t struck you or the rest of the family as well. Do you shred paid bills before throwing them out? Are you careful with other documents? I’m sure the above posted links have tons of information about identity theft and steps you should be taking to prevent it from happening, and in your case, happening again.