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My ex used my credit card without permission — now what?

Yahoo Personal Finance· Getty Images
Kat Tretina
·On Assignment For HuffPost
Updated 5 min read

After your relationship ended, you went your separate ways. But when you sit down to review your credit card statement, you see multiple charges at a local mall (specifically, the mall your ex happens to love). Your first thought? Someone stole my credit card. As you start to panic, it dawns on you: My EX used my credit card!

If your ex uses your credit card after you break up, you may or may not be responsible for the charges, depending on who authorized using the card.

My ex used my credit card — do I have to pay the bill?

With credit cards, you can often add an authorized user, such as your child or significant other, to the account. The authorized user can use the card to make charges online and in person.

With many breakups, people forget that they added their partner to their credit card accounts as authorized users and don't realize they have to remove their ex from the account after the relationship ends.

If your ex was an authorized user when the charges were made, unfortunately, you're on the hook for those charges as the primary user; your ex has no legal obligation to repay the charges. However, removing your ex from the account can prevent future card use.

Things get more complicated if your ex wasn't an authorized user and used your credit card to charge your account. According to the law, your ex stole your credit card information and committed theft.

If you report the charges to the credit card issuer, the Federal Trade Commission states that your legal liability for any unauthorized charges may be up to $50. However, many credit card companies have zero liability policies stating that you won’t be held financially responsible for unauthorized charges.

If you think your ex or anyone else has used your credit card information to make purchases, follow these steps to protect your finances.

Review your credit card statement online or through the card issuer's mobile app and look for any charges you don't recognize. Identify the date and amount of unauthorized transactions and make a note of that information; you'll have to provide those details to the card issuer.

Read more: Can you ask your credit card company for a lower APR?

Next, call your card issuer using the phone number on the back of your credit card. Most credit card companies have 24/7 helplines to handle fraudulent charges.

Explain which unauthorized transactions were made to your account, tell them the dates and dollar amounts of the charges, and say you would like to dispute — challenge — the charges. You may also be able to dispute charges on the credit card issuer’s website or mobile app.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) states that to protect your rights, you must also send a written billing error letter to your credit card company within 60 days after the charge appears on your credit card statement.

If unauthorized charges have been made, ask your card issuer to cancel the existing card and issue you a new one with a new card number. That way, your ex can no longer use your card to make any further charges.

After you dispute any charges, the credit card company will investigate the transactions. The credit card issuer must prove that the charge was legitimate. If they cannot prove that the charge was authorized, they will refund you for the amount of the unauthorized transaction.

Until the dispute is resolved, you don't have to pay for the transaction. You are only responsible for the charges if the issuer finds them valid. The issuer will notify you of its decision electronically or via mail.

Amex offers purchase protection against theft

When someone uses your credit card information to make unauthorized charges, they commit credit card fraud. The penalties can be steep, depending on the transaction amounts, and can involve fines and even jail time.

If your credit card information was stolen, you should decide whether you want to file a police report.

After disputing the charges your ex made, you should take other measures to prevent them from using your information in other ways. Next steps include:

You can view your credit reports from the major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Your credit reports list all of the credit cards and loans under your name, so checking your reports will help you find fraudulent accounts you didn't open. If your ex applied for a loan using your details, contact the lender to notify them of fraud and dispute the accounts with the credit bureaus. You can submit disputes online:

Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit reports to prevent further fraudulent activities.

Credit freezes are free, and you can place a freeze on your credit by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus. A credit freeze prevents anyone from opening new credit in your name as long as the freeze is in place. If you need to apply for a loan or credit card, you can temporarily or permanently remove the freeze.

If you think your ex is particularly vindictive or likely to keep trying to use your information — or if your details have otherwise been compromised — signing up for identity theft protection could be wise. Identity theft services will notify you of suspicious activity, and if fraudulent charges are made or accounts are opened in your name, the company can help you resolve the problem. The FTC’s free resources and Identity Theft website are excellent starting points for more information.

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