When I was 17 years old, one of my friend applied for credit cards under my name, creating a debt up to $20,000.00. Right now, 6 years later, I am still unable to clean up the messed. Am I reliable for these debts, because I was under 18? and if I am not, how can I clean it up?

Thanks for you guys help!

If you did not "apply for" or "benefit from" these credit cards, you are not responsible for them. That said, you need to start working on cleaning up the mess. You can get a free copy of your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com and once you visit these sites, they will instruct you on how to dispute any accounts that are not yours.

You should also consider placing an alert on your file since it appears that someone has your personal information and could continue to open additional accounts.

Be prepared to file a police report on your "friend" who did this and supply any information that might help the police to prosecute. Trust me, they are not, and were not ever, your friend if they would do this to you.

Your friend pretty much destroyed your financial future. That person pretty much needs to learn the lesson. I agree with SoccerMomQueen, you should file police report pull your credit. Make a list of the creditors from who you didn't seek benefits. Place a freeze on your credit file (in most states a police report is required to place such a freeze). Freeze on the credit file works different that an alert. Credit bureau will issue you with a PIN number to lock/unlock your credit file. There may be a small fee for this service. Also initiate the disputes with the creditors. Make a file, record every name of the company, the person you spoke with at that company, the date and the time etc. Make notes of your phone conversation and send dispute notice via mail, return receipt requested.
This will take a while, you gotta think about your future and try to fix it now.
Hope everything works out for you.

Creditors may construe this as two juveniles thinking how much fun it is to scam a system. You are going to have to prove that you took no part in this scam. That will be difficult to do. Is there anyway you can prove that you did not participate OR HAD NO KNOWLEDGE of what your friend was doing? The burden of proof is on you.

Being under age may negate collection of the debt from you. However, nothing prevents the creditors from reporting what happened.

Did you or your parents file charges against your friend when the creditors actively tried to collect from you several years ago? Did you sign any affidavits of forgery? Was this reported to local law enforcement? If not why not?

Did you actively work with creditors to clear this up or just say its not me and besides I'm under age?

Thank you to everyone who responded to my situation.

During that time period, little did I know what credit means or why was it important to me and throughout my daily life. I recalled being age 17 and remembering my friend telling me about using credit cards to go shopping with, I didn’t know how credit cards work, just that it’s plastic and you go to the store and buy stuff with it. She mentioned that she just got one and I asked her how she got it and then she told me that she’s been applying for them online. It got me interested, but I had no idea how you we’re suppose to apply, so I didn’t bother until she asked me if I would be interested in getting one and that was when I jump at the request and accept it. I remembered over the couple of months they just kept coming and yes I did used them, but I had no idea that it needs to be pay back until the bank started calling and harassing me, and then that was when I realized that I owe a lot of debts. Anyway, I would have tried to pay it back, but during that time I had no job and a cruel incident happened to me. You’re probably wondering what happened to me? Well, I met a guy that I know for nearly a year and he brutally raped and choked me to death. I should have died, but luckily I survived that brutal attacked and immediately after my incident and his being put in jail I then left to live with my aunt in California. From there… I never looked back at my credit history, because I wasn’t in need of asking for loans or anything in that nature, until today, until now. And because of what I have gone through I don’t know if I can ever fix it again, that’s why I am asking you guys for help and advices, so that I know what next step I have left to take, so I am thankful for those of you that are helping me in answering my question. Again, THANKS ALL OF YOU!

Your story is incrediable in many ways.

I think the term is unbelievable. I mean the part that you thought you could spend the money and never pay it back. You were 17, not 7. You were old enough to spend $20,000 you were old enough to know at some point, someone would want their money back.

I want to know how you found this site. Idiot Gosh.

my 8 year old can make up a better story than this...

So were your parents clueless to the fact that you were walking around with $20k worth of stuff? Did they not wander where you got the money? Notice the statements in the mail?