Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, Savvy Consumer column.

By Teresa McUsic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Sep. 10--An unfortunate new buzzword has emerged in the world of identity theft: family fraud.

It occurs when someone -- usually with credit problems -- steals a family member's identity to obtain credit cards, take out a loan or start a utility under another name.

A local reader recently called to outline her family fraud problem. Her son has custody of his child, but the child's mother recently obtained telephone service using the child's name.

The mother has no legal custody of the child, doesn't live with the child and has significant credit problems, according to the woman, who asked that her name not be published to protect the …