.....and I am a victim of fraud from an inlaw.

I can either fight it, or pay it off and deal with it separately. I'd rather not have the family member up on fraud charges because of the mess of family issues it would bring.

I have the original creditor's number. They closed the account as bad debt. Can I call them up and tell them I will pay it immediately for 50% of the original? Will that be reflected on my credit or will it still show R9 bad debt? Can I have the original creditor work with me to settle for a lesser amount if I pay immediately and have them send me a settlement letter? How will this then be shown on my credit report given that, right now, it shows R9 Bad Debt, Closed Account by Credit Grantor? How will it change on the bureau if I settle? Will it do any good to settle at this point, or should I stick it to the original creditor and tell them to prove it was me they dealt with when a straggly old drug addicted imposter bought a 46" inch flat screen tv with MY credit!?

I am not planning on opening any new credit. My ONLY concern is that I might need a small loan in a few years to purchase a new car.