My Ex-Wife Took Out Student Loans in My Name

Question:

Dear Steve,

Ex-wife took out a student loan in my name without my knowledge. didn’t care at the time but now it’s affecting my ability to go back to school since there are holds in my name.

What do I do now? Do I have to pay back the loan? Can I ever go back to school?

Answer:

Dear LJ,

Well, you’ve got a couple of choices. If you just discovered the matter you can file a police report and a fraud report with the student loan servicer or lender. You will have to participate in filing criminal charges against her

It would appear your ex-wife engaged in illegal identity theft. For more on how to deal with identity theft, read this.

If you are unwilling to pursue legal charges against your ex-wife or the police say it has been too long since the event to file, then I’m afraid your choices would be to sue your ex-wife for the fraud or pay the loans off yourself.

If the fraudulent loans are in your name, you are responsible for the loans.

Until you either pay off the loans or they are removed from you as criminal identity theft loans, you are stuck with them and the consequences they bring.

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