Credit rating abuse by partner

rustman2

This may be the wrong forum but here goes.....

My partner has bad credit rating but has been applying online for credit such as online shopping - but in MY name. As no forms need to be filled in by hand and signed and no prove required to open an account this is very easy for her, considering she knows all my personnel details, as any partner would.
As I rarely get to see the post first, I rarely know accounts I am supposedely signed upto. I only get to find out if there is a delivery for me or I find a - usually empty - box, labeled with MY name and address on it.

My question therefore is several fold.
1) Is this legal and is there a way of preventing this from continuing?
2) What implications are there on me and MY credit rating and where do I go from here?
3) Why is it sooo easy to allow this to happen?

Please HELP!!

Kimberley

Well for one your partner shouldn't know your personnel details, i know i wouldn't let anyone other then me know mine. Also i think you need to have a chat with her don't you? It is illegal, if i were you i'd cancel everything and change your details so she couldn't do this again.

Slinky

I remember reading something somewhere which was aimed at people who had had their ID stolen, that you can register somewhere (sorry, don't know where) to get extra checks made and contact made with you if somebody applies for credit in your name.

Sorry, I know this isn't particularly helpful in pointing you in the right direction, but yes I'm pretty certain you can do things to stop this happening. Hopefully somebody will be along to point you more accurately in the right direction.

BoltonMinx

slinky wrote:

I remember reading something somewhere which was aimed at people who had had their ID stolen, that you can register somewhere (sorry, don't know where) to get extra checks made and contact made with you if somebody applies for credit in your name.

Sorry, I know this isn't particularly helpful in pointing you in the right direction, but yes I'm pretty certain you can do things to stop this happening. Hopefully somebody will be along to point you more accurately in the right direction.

I think this is called a CIFAS check or warning, my brother had to have one put on his a/c after an identity theft attempt. We moved house and the new tenants attempted to open a Barclaycard in his name, luckily, he already had one and had informed them of the new address! Not sure how you go about getting one put on, but here is a link to CIFAS - http://www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp

On another note, couldnt you talk to your partner? She must know it's illegal?

kimberley wrote:

Well for one your partner shouldn't know your personnel details, i know i wouldn't let anyone other then me know mine. Also i think you need to have a chat with her don't you? It is illegal, if i were you i'd cancel everything and change your details so she couldn't do this again.

Don't most organisations ask for Name, Address, DOB and mothers maiden name? I imagine it's not hard to get those details? Even bank account numbers etc would be easy to access if you live together?

Apple_2

It's fraud.

rustman2, are you happy to pay these bills if your partner defaults ? and the ones after that ..... and the ones after that ........... because they're all in your name !

rustman2

Apple wrote:

It's fraud.

rustman2, are you happy to pay these bills if your partner defaults ? and the ones after that ..... and the ones after that ........... because they're all in your name !

No! I am aware they are in my name which is why I am asking how to get out of the problem, not just short time but long term. It's not like a stranger carrying out this deed!
It's just too close to home - if you get my drift.

MORPH3US

rustman2, I am in a similar situation to you, except it is me that uses my girlfriends cards to buy stuff. Don't worry, its not as bad as it sounds, I find all the bargains on the net (by reading MSE) but sometimes if I want to apply twice off different people, I do it from myself and her. The thing is though, I buy stuff that saves us money, she has full knowledge of what I buy and I always pay her back fully unless it is for both of us (or our house) in which case we split the cost.

In your case, it sounds a lot like she is buying stuff for herself (clothes?!?) and that is not right, especially if she isn't telling you about it and if you aren't 100% happy about it.

If I were you, i'd sit down with your partner and discuss the situation. Tell her that you aren't happy with her buying stuff on your cards / in your name without you knowing. If you are in a relationship, you need to have trusts, and that means the she can't be allowed to go behind your back like this.

I used to work with a girl whose boyfriend had bad credit history, she brought loads of stuff that he wanted on credit in her name. They eventually split up and he was left with a nice new tv, games console, nearly new car etc etc. She was left with £20,000 debts and ended up declaring herself bankrupt!

Then the very same situation as above also happened to my girlfriends sister.

M

Apple_2

rustman2 wrote:

No! I am aware they are in my name which is why I am asking how to get out of the problem, not just short time but long term. It's not like a stranger carrying out this deed!
It's just too close to home - if you get my drift.

rustman2 I already had your drift. Ok this isn't meant to be unsympathetic but....
What you're trying to do is stop your girlfriend being able to do what she's doing, hence CIFAS posts etc . I just think the real problem is that she doesn't think its wrong to do what she's doing. I'd say sit down and talk to her but .... I've got a feeling you've already done that. It's the first thing I'd do.
So I may be wrong but .... I think you're saying, she knows you don't want her to continue doing this .. but she's still doing it. If that's the case you either continue with a relationship where you honestly don't trust your partner and worry about 'what's she done now' or you say to yourself 'this isn't right and I can't live like this'.
I would hate to be in your position because it's an awful choice. But if she isn't prepared to change, it's a choice you will be forced to make.

Merry Christmas mate :xmastree:

waster_2

BoltonMinx wrote:

Don't most organisations ask for Name, Address, DOB and mothers maiden name? I imagine it's not hard to get those details? Even bank account numbers etc would be easy to access if you live together?

It's even more widely available than that!! Everytime you write a cheque (well some people still do it and until recently was very widespread) you give, whovever receives it, the name of your bank and its address, you account number, the bank sort code and the name on the account. Very useful.

Even a debit card will have the name of the issuing bank on it, your account number and bank sort code as well as the name on the account. And, if you have access to the card the expiry date and issue number as well as the CSC security number on the reverse. Not very secure really, although if you have to use the PIN it will help!!!! If I wanted I have know doubt that I could easily obtain someone's deatils and obtain £'00000's of goods without getting caught. Just need to stay one step ahead and not get too greedy on the details of one card.

Sarahsaver

Leave her, she's a thief! Sorry to ne harsh but look back at your post and imagine how you would react if a friend told you that this was happening to them :rolleyes:
good luck.

Hawksmuir

Sarahsaver wrote:

Leave her, she's a thief! Sorry to ne harsh but look back at your post and imagine how you would react if a friend told you that this was happening to them :rolleyes:
good luck.

I wouldn't be that strong, but would seriously question why they are doing that, time for a sit down and chat IMHO