Ok, so back in november I applied for a couple of credit cards to get me through a financial emergency. One of them was a discover card. I latter got a letter in the mail saying I was denied. Welll today I opened up a bill and saw that it was for a discover card that had a 99$ balance and was 30 days past due. I was all "Huh?" and gave them a call, they said I had applied for and been accepted for a card with a 59$ anual fee, and even though the card was never activated they went ahead and charged me this fee and now my credit score is being penalized for a card I never recived, never activated and can't remember if I applied for it or not. So I got angry, was transfered to fraud, told them that I never got the card, never activated the card and can't remember if I applied for it or not, and they said they'd open a fraud ticket. My question is, if I did apply for the card and can't remember will I go to Jail or be in trouble with the government for opening a fraud investigation?

who applies for a discover card with an annual fee, let alone an outrageous $59 annual fee?

if your financial emergency would put you in such a state of mind that you would, then consider that you did apply.

i don't think they'll do that. you never got the card, so that's enough right there to support your case.

for future reference, Discover is notorious for huge fees. it took my husband and i YEARS to get out of the debt from fees alone from the card he got for the very same reason you did--a one time financial emergency.

You won't be put in jail, and won't be punished for opening the fraud investigation. The credit card company will investigate it, and if they find that you didn't apply for it, you will no longer be accountable. If they find that you did, than you will still be responsible for the fee.

Your dispute will be limited to the credit card company and their fraud department and not the government. If you applied for an ACCOUNT you would have had to sign something. They should have a digital copy of that. Ask to see it.

You will not go to jail, but you may be harassed for a few years by collectors.

Call the fraud dept back and let them know you thought about it and you did actually apply, but you never received or activiated the card. Let them know you thought you were rejected as well.