Credit Fraud

J-FRO · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:06

Hey ladies and gents, got a bit of an issue in the J-FRO household.

My mother has received a letter on the 18 November 2011 telling her that her account had been transferred from a company to a servicing agent in respect of an outstanding balance of £485.41 as of 4 October 2010.

Then on Friday another letter was received from the servicing company reiterating that the balance is owed.

Now the name the account has been opened in is a name that my mother has used for the purposes of my little sisters schooling so as to stop the confusion about different parents surnames etc as her and my stepfather aren't married. My mother has never had credit in this name and nor has she ever bought anything in it. The most she has is an asos and amazon account which, as we all know, is all paid by card not on credit.

Now I want to write to this servicing agent to inform them that this account had been opened fraudulently and that credit should never have been given and would never have been given elsewhere, but other steps should I take? Is there a particular way in which I should approach this, i.e. flat out denial of any responsibility or inquisitive as to what was purchased/where was it delivered etc.?

Cheers guys

cjgardens · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:11

Take your mum to the police station and hand her in

Efour · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:14

cjgardens said:
Take your mum to the police station and hand her in

This. Also lock her in stocks at the nearest market and let people throw rotten veg at her.

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:19

Are you suggesting your mum opened an account in a name which is not hers then ran up debt. Now to get out of paying you're suggesting she should have never been able to open the account and thus the debt is not hers?

Or is it, that she did not open the account, or that she didn't run up the debt?

Immsy · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:24

Why would their be a confusion about different parents surnames? Plenty of people these days even when married choose to remain with their maiden names. If she opened an account even with amazon under a name which isnt hers then you asking for bother.

cjgardens · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:31

Expect a knock on the door shortly. From the fraud investigation team.

I would hide your pc now.

Craig1981 · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:34

cjgardens said:
Take your mum to the police station and hand her in

Yeah. Then went she gets bail and skips the county, you can unleash... The Dawg!

cjgardens · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:39

Lol he's a idiot that guy.

If shes managed to open a bank account she must be good.

Some people can't even open an account.

Must have a draw full of passports and printed off bills in random names

J-FRO · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:42

( |-| |2 ][ $;20824191 said:
Or is it, that she did not open the account, or that she didn't run up the debt?

Both of these.

Immsy said:
Why would their be a confusion about different parents surnames? Plenty of people these days even when married choose to remain with their maiden names.

Not really the point in issue, but for your sake, they're going to get married and it was just easier to put their names down as married now rather than change it later etc.

Immsy said:
If she opened an account even with amazon under a name which isnt hers then you asking for bother.

That's the thing, she hasn't. Everything she's ever done financially has always been done in accordance with her bank account names. What we're saying is, the crooks have taken a name not affiliated with any of my mums finances, only my little sisters schooling, and they've run off last year at some point and bought products on credit to the value of £485.41.

cjgardens · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:50

You can't just open an account in a random name.

The police will not believe a word

If you contact the police she will get done for fraud.

J-FRO · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:54

Uh huh, so how do you suspect identity theft works? Because that never happens either does it?

cjgardens · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:04

It does happen. Its happened to me.

But your mum has broken the law. Its fraud.

If i was a copper and someone told me that they had broken the law made up a fake name opened an account. Then someone has stolen my account details from an account i made up with a fake name. I would not believe a word

I would pay the debt and close the account if i was her.

There are only two options

pay the debt close the account

get done for fraud. But not pay the bill. And pay a fine and court costs. Could lose her job As well

Slam62 · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:05

so she made an amazon or asos account in a name that is incorrect, but anyway, so presumably she pays the accounts with a card in her actual name.

Hmm.. so the schooling, she has used a none existent name with her actual address.

I think you need to clarify a few things here.

Deleted member 77746 · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:15

oh dear oh dear.

Immsy · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:21

J-FRO said:
That's the thing, she hasn't. Everything she's ever done financially has always been done in accordance with her bank account names.

She has an account with Amazon under a completely false name. As others have said its fraud.

phonemonkey · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:23

From what I understand, the OP is saying that his mums identity has been stolen and used to open a credit account as some point last year.

It has taken so long for the OP and his mum to become aware of the fraud, as the fraudulent account is associated with his mums "married" name which is currently only used at his little sisters school and no where else as the OP's mum and partner are not yet married.

If this is the case, I don't see that his mum has committed a crime, and I suspect that contacting the police and the original credit companies fraud department. I would expect them with hold off on trying to get money from your mum until it is established whether she owes the money or was a victim of fraud.

cjgardens · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:29

But as op said shes not married and its not her name. Its fraud which ever way you try to play it down.

It like saying my my miss's opening up an account with my last name just because were getting married next year. You can't do that.

Although she didn't do it to hurt anyone and just to make life easier is back fired.

What you going to tell this firm that are asking for the money?

There going to contact the police

Deleted member 77746 · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:29

The question that needs to be answered is;

Did your mum take out the credit under a different name? If she did it's fraud.

If not, then I would just ignore the letter and let them chase as it has nothing to do with the op's mum.

jaf2212 · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:32

If she did not open the account then she needs to do a CCA Request to both the credit company and the collection company. If you google it, there are loads of templates online which set out how to do this and if you should then recieve a copy of the signed (if done in person) or digitally signed ( if done online) credit agreement. Once you have this you should be able to tell who open the card

J-FRO · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:34

Amazon, Asos etc all in her name which is on her passport, bank account details etc. EVERYTHING FINANCIAL SHE HAS IS IN HER LEGITIMATE NAME.

School stuff for my sister, IS IN HER MARRIED NAME TO BE.

she has NO accounts opened in a FALSE name.

I can see by me putting the bit about Amazon/Asos in the same paragraph as the bit about not having credit in the married name to be has caused some confusion so hopefully the above three sentences clarify that point.

So, she HAS NOT committed fraud. She is a victim of IDENTITY THEFT/FRAUD.

Anywho, I've decided to follow the advice from here to contact Action Fraud and just take it to the police.