Someone anonymously gave me money when I needed it once, saying in a note that they were paying it forward. I now know someone wonderful drowning in debt their parent wracked up in their name. I have the ability to help, at least to extent and would love to do so without them knowing.
Problem is, I don’t know how much the debt is or where it’s held. I also want to make sure it goes to their debt directly.
Any clever ideas to make this happen?
How to anonymously pay someone’s debt?
byu/tdubs702 inpersonalfinance
Posted by tdubs702
5 Comments
You can’t find someone else’s debt without knowing the lender and account number
If they really knew nothing about the debt, they shouldn’t pay it any more than they should pay debt that I borrowed in their name. Their parent tricked a bank into giving them money by impersonating someone else. That’s the bank’s problem and the imposter’s problem for having defrauded the bank.
If the person is determined to pay the bank this money they never borrowed, you probably need to get the name of the bank account number. You probably need to tell them about this pay-it-forward plan. I love paying it forward, but I don’t like how the patent tricked the bank into giving the parent money, and now people who weren’t even involved are paying the bank. I think the bank should have demanded proof of ID before disbursing money, and it’s the bank’s problem they got tricked.
If they’re worth helping, they’ll know to put it towards their debt, or will at least listen to a note instructing them to do the same.
At that point, you can hire a courier to deliver money anonymously for you, mail it in a large and non-descript package, or leave it taped to their door at 2am.
You’re not going to be able to pay their debt without asking them for the company and account info. Better yet, encourage them to file a police report and have the debt cleared from their credit report. Their parents committed fraud
General convo with them regarding debt? “Ugh I have X to pay on this credit card, which card do you use would you recommend it?” Something like that maybe?
Never tried to pay someone else’s debt directly so not sure what info you’d need but it’s a very nice gesture by you.