Cousin Thinks She Can Use Woman’s Credit Card Anytime, She’s Mortified After Seeing $15K Charge

Some people just don’t seem to realize their own mistakes, even if it’s completely obvious or they’ve caused someone harm. Unfortunately, their victim is often the one who has to clean up after them each and every time.

This is what happened to a person who lent their cousin their credit card in her time of need, only to have her misuse it a couple of months later to book a $15k vacation home. The woman didn’t even apologize for her sneaky behavior, and instead acted like the poster was overreacting to the situation.

More info: Reddit

It can be hard to get into a conflict with a family member over money, especially if they aren’t willing to admit to their mistakes

Young woman holding a credit card looking stressed while reviewing bills and documents at home involving cousin card fraud.

Image credits: Frolopiaton Palm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster had lent their credit card to their cousin a while back so that she could book a flight for a job interview, as her bank account was giving trouble then

Text explaining cousin-card fraud vacation rental dispute about unauthorized credit card use for booking a trip.

Text excerpt showing a person describing a suspicious credit card charge from a vacation rental, suspecting cousin card fraud.

Young woman smiling and holding a card while using a laptop, illustrating cousin card fraud in vacation rental scams.

Image credits: katemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The woman had repaid the borrowed money almost immediately, but a couple of months later, she secretly charged $15k to her cousin’s credit card without asking

Text excerpt describing a cousin card fraud incident involving unauthorized use of credit card for a vacation rental reservation.

Text excerpt describing frustration over credit card charges related to cousin card fraud and vacation rental issues.

Text showing a conversation about cousin card fraud involving unauthorized use of a credit card for a vacation rental payment.

Two women having a serious conversation indoors, illustrating cousin card fraud risks in vacation rental situations.

Image credits: Liza Summer / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The poster confronted their cousin, and she casually explained that she remembered the credit card details and had used them to book a place for her anniversary trip

Text describing a bank dispute and payment reversal related to cousin card fraud in a vacation rental reservation.

Text conversation about cousin using someone else's card without permission, discussing card fraud in a vacation rental context.

Image credits: Aggravating_Pin_4304

The poster called their cousin out for fraud and immediately got the charges reversed, which angered the woman, as she still felt she had done nothing wrong

As the OP shared, their cousin had come to them for help when she needed to book a flight to get a job interview. Since her bank account was giving trouble, she simply used the poster’s credit card to get the booking done, and then she immediately paid the money back the next day.

Although it might seem safe to lend one’s credit card to family members during their time of need, financial experts explain that it’s important to be careful. Some relatives and loved ones might not have proper boundaries when it comes to money and may feel entitled to use the credit card later on, even if they haven’t been given permission to do so.

This is exactly what happened with the OP because their cousin had sneakily memorized their card details. Unfortunately, the poster didn’t know about that and was therefore quite shocked to see $15,000 charged to them for a random vacation rental site. That’s why they quickly checked the transaction details and found out that it was their cousin’s fault.

In situations like this, where someone uses your credit card without permission, professionals state that it’s important to get evidence of the transaction immediately. Before reporting it to the bank or the agency, it might help to confront the person first and give them a chance to correct their mistake.

Young woman relaxing on orange inflatable at beach, enjoying a drink, representing cousin card fraud in vacation rental context

Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster decided to talk to the cousin about her sneaky behavior to understand why she had used the card without asking. The problem is that the woman was very flippant about her fraudulent actions, and she tried to justify them by saying that she was definitely going to pay the $15k back in a few weeks.

Since the cousin refused to admit her mistakes or return the money immediately, the OP decided to take matters into their own hands. They quickly contacted the bank and disputed the charges so that they would get their money back without much hassle.

According to experts, when you’re suddenly faced with a huge credit card bill that you haven’t racked up, it’s important to first contact the card issuer and let them know. Just like the poster did, one can request a refund or dispute the random charges. The bank might issue the amount immediately, or even request that a police report be filled out in certain circumstances.

Many netizens urged the poster to do exactly that and to report the cousin for fraud, since she wasn’t even willing to take accountability. Even though the OP wasn’t planning on doing that, it’s good that they got their money back, and hopefully they learned a lesson about not trusting their cousin ever again.

Have you ever dealt with a sly family member like this, and how did you handle the situation? We’d love to hear your stories and opinions on this situation.

People urged the poster to get a new credit card immediately and to report the cousin for being a thief

Comment explaining cousin card fraud in a vacation rental context, warning against unauthorized use of saved card info.

Screenshot of an online comment advising to get a new card related to cousin card fraud in vacation rental discussions.

Comment on cousin card fraud vacation rental dispute advising to dispute the charge and change the card promptly.

Comment explaining cousin card fraud related to suspicious bank activity linked to a vacation rental scam discussion.

User comment warning about checking statements and getting a new card to prevent cousin card fraud in vacation rental scams.

Comment warning about cousin card fraud in vacation rental, advising to distance and never trust again.

Reddit comment explaining the difference between theft and fraud in cousin card fraud vacation rental situations.

Comment advising to contact the bank immediately to cancel the card and request a new one to prevent cousin card fraud in vacation rental cases.

Comment suggesting to request a new card to prevent cousin card fraud during vacation rental transactions.

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