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Fernandez1002's profile

Tutor

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4 Messages

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 2:58 AM

Closed

Will att pursue criminal charges

So, my father in law had an att account. He recently added his son as an authorised user. My brother in law is a severe drug addict and opened 12 different lines on the account. He was taking the phones and selling them for drugs. My father in law's phone bill was in excess of $10,000. He went to the fraud department and gave them my brother in laws info, as to keep himself from oweing. My concern is that my brother in law will get off scott free like he always does and see no jail time. My father in law is 88. Will att actually do something criminal, or just put it on my brother in laws credit, and let him walk?

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

7 years ago

If the brother in law was an authorized user, then him opening lines and getting phones is not any kind of fraud against ATT. Your father-in-law is the one who was cheated, not ATT. 

Tutor

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4 Messages

7 years ago

I understand that. Thats not the issue at hand. There is a $10,000+ balance owed to att for phones they provided, which are NOT getting paid for. Under my father in laws account he is NOT going to be held liable to pay for them because they were sold for drugs. He turned his son in which is the one that recieved ALL the phones. HE will NOT pay either, beings hes a 30yr old low life drug addict who has NEVER held a job. My question was, beings its been turned over to ATT fraud department, with it being a substancial amount, will the file criminal charges against the brother in law, OR slap him on the wrist and put it on his credit report for the next 7years

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

7 years ago

This is entirely up to your Father in law.   He gave his son access to open lines and buy phones.  That isn't fraud    The charges would be legit.  I have to wonder why he wasn't paying attention to his account though.  Every transaction would result in an email to the account owner.  

Att wants to be paid.   That's all.    They will ruin his credit, but he's 88.   So what.  It's unlikely he needs to worry about his score anymore.  

Hopefully the wake up call he need to stop enabling his son.  Sad

 

Tutor

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4 Messages

7 years ago

Seriously??? These are the kind of responses to my question. The question is plain and simple!!!! WILL ATT PURSUE CRIMINAL CHARGES???? Yes we know its sad, we have been dealing with it for years. No matter if hes 18 or 88 ITS STILL WRONG! WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO READ AND APPLY ONLY INFO PERRAINING TO SAID QUESTION. Its is infact NOT my father inlaw that enables his son, it is my MOTHER IN LAW that does. She is the one that added him as an authorised user NOT my father in law. He turned it over to fraud department. WILL THEY PURSUE CRIMINAL CHARGES? THATS ALL I WANT TO KNOW! IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA, THEN PLEASE DO NOT POST A COMMENT, THANK YOU

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

7 years ago

This is a public customer forum, not customer support. On top of that, legal discussions are not allowed so your question won't get an official ATT answer here anyway. Sorry, we're not lawyers but I'd say no, ATT will not pursue criminal charges. I don't believe they could even if they wanted to. What would the criminal charges even be? Since the phones were bought by an authorized user, ATT's only recourse is against the account owner. There really is no need to yell. We are trying to help.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

7 years ago

I suppose the answer was not clear...NO.  

As far as ATT is concerned there is no criminal activity.    

ATT will persue payment vigorously.  

 

Tutor

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4 Messages

7 years ago

I do understand this is a public forum, i do understand that nothing prohibits any legal advice or talk. By law that is. I do understand that i asked a question on this forum for anyones advice/help who may have themselves or known anyone in this situation. I didnt think they would come after him for criminal charges, but for the life of me cant figure out why they wouldnt. I wish they would. This waste of life gets away with absolutely EVERYTHING when it comes to legal issues. He steals from everyone and puts them in a bind, and walks away scott free. I was hoping that beings what he did was open several phone lines, just to get the phone to sell, and the phones were and never will be paid for, that they would conscider it fraud or theft because in sense, thats what he did. He stole $10,000+ worth of phones in a matter of a month and 1/2

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

7 years ago

The forum itself limits certain types of discussions in its guidelines.  We are tip toeing around the edges, so it may or may not get redacted.

 

I understand you're frustrated.   I'm sorry only your in laws are in any position to enact some tough love.  

Hopefully it will be a cautionary tale.  

I did a little research and noticed that as of November 2016, authorized users authority was expanded to include the ability to add lines at a retail store or on the phone.  https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1009073

I suspect this was done to sell more tablets and watches, which might require a new line of service.  

This is why only I am listed on my account, no secondary user, no authorized users.  

 

 

Former Community Manager

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10.4K Messages

7 years ago

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to post your comments and opinions related to this subject. As mentioned above, we ask our users to avoid legal discussions, it's noted in the Community Guidelines. The topic has been thoroughly discussed and will now be closed.

 

Thank you,

Dmitriy

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