What can my mother do if my cousin ran up $7,500 in phone bills in my mother’s name?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What can my mother do if my cousin ran up $7,500 in phone bills in my mother’s name?
My cousin ran up a $7500 phone bill on my mothers home phone. The calls were made out of the country while my mother was at work. The calls were made to Nigeria. My mother does not know anyone in Nigeria or even out of the country for that matter. She has proof that she was not even home when some of the calls were made. I am pretty sure my cousin does not intend to pay as she has not contacted my mother since any of this came to light. Should my mother file a police report?
Asked on July 26, 2011 Texas
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Your mother and you need to contact your cousin about the bill and find out if the cousin made the calls. One way to confirm is to call the number in Nigeria and ask the person picking up the phone if he or she knows your cousin.
If your cousin made the calls, your cousin needs to pay the bill. If the cousin refuses to pay the bill, a legal action needs to be filed to get the money to reimburse your mother for the payment to be made.
You should call the telephone company as well about the charges to put it on notice about unauthorized use of your mother's telephone. Perhaps the telephone company may have a policy of reducing the bill in such a situation.
Good luck.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.