It’s a nightmare: your phone buzzes, and a collector is demanding payment on an account you never opened. Or worse, a strange loan shows up on your credit report with your name on it.
You think: “Maybe if I just pay it, they’ll leave me alone. Maybe this will finally disappear.”
Stop right there.
Why Paying a Fraudulent Debt Is a Trap
Paying an identity thief’s bill doesn’t fix anything. In fact, it makes the problem worse. Here’s why:
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It doesn’t erase the negative credit reporting. That fraudulent account still drags your score down, even if you pay it off.
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It doesn’t close the account. The thief can keep spending — and you’ll be on the hook for even more.
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It signals to collectors that you’ll cave. Once they know you’ll pay, they’ll keep hounding you, even for debts that aren’t yours.
Bottom line: paying a fraudulent account is like pouring gasoline on the fire.
The Only Time Paying Makes Sense
There are only two legitimate situations where paying is part of the smart move:
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Account Takeover on Your Real Card: If someone hacked your existing credit card, you dispute the fraudulent charges — but you still pay what you actually spent.
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Minimum Payments While You Fight: If a legitimate account has been hit with unauthorized charges, you may keep paying the minimum balance so your credit doesn’t tank during the dispute.
Outside of those narrow cases? Do. Not. Pay.
What You Should Do Instead
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File an identity theft report with the FTC.
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Demand the collector provide proof the account is yours.
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Work with an identity theft attorney who knows how to freeze the fraud, fix your credit, and make the banks and collectors back off.
At The Cardoza Law Corporation, we stop thieves and collectors in their tracks — and we don’t charge you a dime unless we win money for you.
👉 Call today. Don’t let identity thieves steal your money, your credit, and your peace of mind.
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