Few things are more terrifying and violating than finding out that someone has been secretly stealing from you. One way to do this is through credit card fraud, and that might be more common than we think. In fact, there were around 450,000 cases of credit card fraud in the U.S. in 2024.
This woman's fiancé experienced it too, but it came from the unlikeliest of sources. He found out that his mother had taken out a credit card in his name and used it for shopping and entertainment in Disney World. When confronted, she tried to justify it by saying that children should take care of their parents, but the son refused to listen.
An MIL stole her son's credit card and racked up a $10k debt
Image credits: zavalishina / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When he confronted her, she said the card was a birthday gift and it was his job to take care of her financially anyway
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Dylan / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: LupusWarriorRN
This wasn't the only time the MIL tried to take advantage of her son's family
Having an entitled parent like the MIL in this story is hard, and this family has had to deal with this lady for a long time. In other posts, author u/LupusWarriorRN details more instances where her MIL showed a complete disregard for her son's family and showcased her narcissistic tendencies.
One time, after a family camping trip, the MIL supposedly wanted everyone to pay back their "share" to her. As this was right after the family found out about the credit card fiasco, they refused and didn't talk to her for some time. "Seriously?!" the OP wrote. "She thinks she is getting money! We will subtract it from your bill!"
The MIL also liked giving her grandchildren gifts, but not out of love. In one instance, she gifted them a moped that didn't work. "I suppose they could walk next to it?" the OP wrote sarcastically. Luckily, the author's parents decided to help the boys out and paid for the repairs.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that's when the MIL came back. When she heard that the moped was running and, of course, worth some money, she demanded to have it back. "I need it to get around," the MIL argued. "I'm on disability and limited income and can't afford a vehicle!"
But the boys' mom didn't buy it: she knew the MIL only wanted that moped so she could sell it. So, she refused to give it back and had her parents take it back to their place so that the MIL couldn't get her hands on it.
After the MIL threatened to report it as stolen, the mom called her bluff: "Go for it and I have these messages and others to show it was a gift to your grandchildren. It won't be here, so don't show up here," she snapped.
The MIL also embarrassed her son and his wife on their wedding day
In another post, the Redditor shared a story about her wedding day from almost 20 years ago. It seems that the family never had any rest from the MIL's narcissistic tendencies and crazy antics.
She didn't ruin their wedding (thank God), but showed some kleptomaniac tendencies during the ceremony. A day after their wedding, the couple got a call from the wedding venue about missing ribbons and bows. According to the hotel, the couple had to pay them back $1,500.
Without much thought, the son and his new wife almost immediately knew that the MIL was behind it. The son called his mother; she tried denying it, but later admitted to the theft. Just like with the credit card fraud, she didn't seem to feel any remorse. "They belonged to you anyway!" she told them on the phone. "They are trying to cheat you!"
Well, they weren't, and the couple really needed to pay the wedding venue back. Luckily, the mother returned the ribbons and bows, albeit in three large garbage bags. The couple had to endure a lecture from the hotel management and let them keep the flowers and garlands in exchange.
"We still hear about how mean we were... 18 years later," the Redditor wrote. "We are pretty much NC now, except for large family events."
In the comments, the wife revealed how they paid off the $10k debt: "Took us almost 8 years with interest"
Many commenters urged the couple to press charges the next time the mother pulls something similar
