Can I sue a popular cable company for letting my parent use my social security number without identification?

It has damaged my credit. I'm a single mother in college and my finances are screwed because of this.

Consider 2 things; the cost of procuring a lawyer and prosecuting a suit against a giant cable company, and the effect the suit would have on your relationship with your parent.

Lawsuits are hugely expensive, legal fees can cost more than $100 an hour. In cases where the anticipated recovery is small, it may be impossible to find a lawyer to even take the case in the first place. You are not likely to recover much money, if any, in this case. Remember, you were damaged by your parent, not your cable company. Any money you might get would be from them. And the amount of damage to your credit might not be very much, even if it seems painful to you. I think that you realized that a rich cable company is involved, and your first thought was, "they were involved in me getting hurt. Maybe I can get them to pay me huge amounts of money." The nicest way to describe this very common reaction is ill-conceived. Lastly, the cable company has lawyers they keep on staff that are very good at handling cases like this, and they are probably more skilled than whoever you will find.

More importantly, think about the effect on your parent. You may be mad at them now, but putting them through a suit, which could last years, could destroy your relationship with them forever. Lawsuits are the nuclear bombs of problem solving; use them as the last resort! A better solution would be to reasonably talk it over with your parent.

If you do sue: don't rely on this post (which is just an opinion) for legal advice: get your own lawyer.

YOu can try; but no one seems to have much luck suing a company who has been defrauded by an identity theft. Bet on it being expensive, and not a great chance to win IMHO

You'd do better to sue your parent for fraud and identity theft.

i hope you do, and get a ton of money. my cable bill isn't high enough as it is.

Maybe you should take it up with your parents.

duh.

You should be suing your parent - he/she is the one who commited the fraud.

You probably can, but it might be easier to go talk with their collections dept. They are the ones that report bad debts to credit reporting agencies. If you lay it out for them logically (and calmly) they may retract the bad record they have reported. It is their option, but it may take a month or two.

If they decline, then see an attorney, who will start by writing them a demand letter saying basically the same thing. But he will threaten further action in the way of a defamation suit. (I assume you didn't authorize the use of your SSN or the account was not in your name). But you need to decide now how far you want to go.

** Note: This is a general discussion of the subject matter of your question and not legal advice. Local laws or your particular situation may change the general rules. For a specific answer to your question you should consult legal counsel with whom you can discuss all the facts of your case. Answering this question does not indicate an attorney-client relationship. **