Help! done something stupid and am panicking now

[mychildsnameisbalonz]

Posting here for traffic.

I did something very stupid- earlier today one of my Facebook friends who lives in the US posted a petititon re: the police treatment of black men, a subject I feel strongly about especialy with recent events. I signed it, but when it came to zip code my UK postcode was rejected. So i very stupidly chose a US postcode (a genuine one- another US friend uses it) and clicked sign.

I regretted it 5 mins later. I think I have committed fraud and am scared. I hate the thought of having a criminal record and my conscience is telling me to say I made mistake and ask for my signsture to be removed. But am kind of scared if I do that they will take it further. I did give a genuine name.

I cannot afford legal help. I am in low contact with family due to abuse from parents and I have suffered with mental health issues (severe ones) and I don't really have anyone I can ask about this?

I know what I have doen is wrong and I am sitting here crying about it. I dont have money to pay any fines and I don't feel I could cope with a custodial sentence (I have complex PTSD and personality disorder and very bad anxiety- I know I would do something bad to myself in there, am already very vulnerable).

What on earth should I do?

Honestly please don’t worry. It’s only a petition not a legal document. I regularly use my local Dorothy Perkins postcode if I don’t want to give mine out.

@hellosunshine this is absolutely classic anxiety. It's hard to live with, yes. And there's no need to point it out.

Seriously be rational here, think what you know of the legal system, have you ever heard of fine/imprisonments for signing a petition?
Your reaction is way way over the top, surely you are not like this about everything?
You need help.

@hellosunshine5 your comment was harsh.. anxiety , depression etc is a serious illness.

Ahhh bless you op!! Honestly if this was the worst thing I’d ever done I’d be laughing

Don’t worry !!!!

And the lack of empathy award goes to:-.......🌞

Years ago I used a 90210 postcode. No ones come knocking on my door. You'll be fine mychildsnameisbalonz

@hellosunshine5 you do not sound very sunshiney

OP I promise nothing will come of this 💐

hellosunshine read the OPs last sentence please, you will see they realise they have complex anxiety issues, she really didn’t need you to be so direct. Sometimes compassion is all that’s needed particularly when many people had already told her in kinder way that she has nothing to worry about on this occasion!

There is absolutely no way you will be given a custodial sentence for this.

Firstly nobody is checking which name matches which postcode.
If they did find that the name didnt match the postcode, they might discard that name from the petition but they wouldnt start shooting the globe for someone with that name to find you.
if they did look for someone with that name, chances are you arent the only person with that name
if you are, they might send you a letter yo say that you gave false details and therefore your name was discarded from the petition.

Do you think any of that is likely?

Plus even if you did commit fraud - which you didn't - the USA doesn't have jurisdiction to have you punished in the UK for this.

People have been known to dick around with the information requested on the Census, op, without repercussion...
You're fine.

...ok

Don’t worry OP, nothing will happen

Hi! In US with a US postal code! You're fine!
Breathe!

@ExShield

My go-to is Hugh G. Rection. Raving leftie.

Thank you for this. I've just been silently howling as my DH tries to figure that out.

OP. You're fine I promise. Relax.

Hi OP.

Nothing is going to happen to you.

You do seem to have a large amount of anxiety. Nobody deserves that, especially someone lovely enough to want to add their name to the fight against bigotry. I hope this evening at least you can feel good about what you did, instead of feeling worried about repercussions of it - because there WILL NOT be any.

I live in Denmark and have used relative's UK post codes for many things :)

Yank here. You're fine. They just ask for the zip code for analytics purposes. You were not under oath when you submitted the signature.

The worst case is that they can't find your name in that zip code and your signature is disallowed.