Cleaning up credit record after CC fraud

turbobob

Back in early 2007 I was a victim of a credit card fraud which involved the card address being changed. This resulted in a new card and PIN being obtained by someone who then withdrew cash with it. Several months later I was contacted by the CC company (back at my real address!) with a final demand for payment, at which point it was established the address had been changed, and it was referred to their fraud department. They admitted that it was definitely fraud and wrote off the amount. They also said they would sort out anything put on my credit file as a result of the fraud. I then asked them to cancel the card as I wanted nothing more to do with them.

If all this sounds weird, it was because it was a dormant card which I'd never used, and so was not receiving statements which I would have missed. So I didn't hear about it until being contacted by the rather aggressive debt collection department demanding payment...

I recently obtained copies of my file from the three CRA's - and have discovered that they haven't corrected anything. The card is showing as "Delinquent" status and shows details of all of the missed payments, and a zero balance (which is correct). The file shows a linked address on the other side of the country from me which was the address the card was changed to fraudulently.

I am concerned this will have a bad effect on my credit rating. What is the best way to sort this out? I have made a formal written complaint to the CC company, but have not heard anything back yet. Is it worth writing to the CRA's also to request the information is changed?

Has anyone who has been through this or who has knowledge of this area got any tips??

Thanks

YorkshireBoy

I've thankfully no personal experience of it, so my advice is based on the help files I've read on the Experian website (assume Equifax & CallCredit have the same info?).

First off (and hindsight is wonderful!), I wouldn't have cancelled the card. Much easier to deal with these issues as an existing customer.

How long since you wrote to the card provider? I once had some inaccurate information on my file and faxed the card provider's complaint department directly. I gave them 2 hours to manually update Experian otherwise I was going to the Information Commissioner. Guess what...they did it! Yours may be slightly more complicated, but I'd say (due to the seriousness of the matter) you shouldn't have to wait the customary 8 weeks.

The Experian help files say that you should first contact the lender, but go on to say that they will get involved and also write to them if you're experiencing difficulties.

Finally, you may find that once the information is corrected a CIFAS fraud marker is added/stays on your file. This is nothing to worry about because it'll be a class 2 marker which is there for your own protection because you were the victim of fraud...not the perpetrator of fraud.


Further reading:

http://experian.metafaq.com/templates/experian/main/realMainPage?_mftvst:moduleID=%24main&id=KBF3JL3CQKM9GT5C96SMUMD5LE

http://www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=588-82

turbobob

Thanks. I will have a good read through those links. It was only last week that I put in the letter to the card company so I will follow up if I haven't heard anything very soon. I know I should have sorted this much sooner. Technically I am still a customer of them as I have a second card with them which I have not cancelled (through acquisition - its MBNA who provide credit cards for lots of other companies under different brandings). Incidentally the second card with them did not have the address changed but their internal controls didn't seem to pick up on this!