help

boardangels

hello everyone
can anyone help me
back in september i recieced a letter from lowell group about an overdrawn current account that was not mine and i was advised to send the prove it letter now lowell have got back to me and sent a pile of bank statments from the overdrawn bank account it is my name that is on the bank statments but it is not me they have told me that they have purchased the debt from the bank. does anyone know what i should do ? or should i just pay it to get it off my back they have started phoning me again. the amount they need is £600

dancingfairy

Hi. Are you saying that the bank account has you name on it but is not yours? There are 2 possibilities here
1) Lowells are trying it with everyone with the same name in the hope someone will pay - not that they will care who.
2) someone did actually use your details and committed fraud.

I would say 1) is fairly likely. However I'm not sure what to advise you. Hopefully someone with more info will be able to help.
It might be worth contacting the bank and explaining to them that it is not your debt and putting a complaint in and getting them to recall the debt from Lowells until they have sorted out who's it is?
df

Ames

If it's not your debt then you shouldn't pay it. Apart from it not being fair on you, it just gives them the message that they can bully anyone they like knowing that there's a chance they'll pay up!

I'm not sure what the next step is though for an overdraft, I'm sure someone will be along soon with advice.

RAS

hi

What date and address are on the accounts?

And I would second DF on 1) being a good bet.

boardangels

hi
its an address that i dont know and the statements date from 1998 to 2006 seems to be made up of bank charges and the final balance is nil

GeorgeUK

If they have sent you statements for an account that is not yours, they have breached OFT guidelines and the Data Protection Act. You should report them to Trading Standards and the Information Commissioners Office - DO NOT PAY A BILL THAT IS NOT YOURS.

boardangels

what do you think i should do they have started phoning all the time again

GeorgeUK

Did you send the letter to stop phone calls or did they just stop phoning?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11571485&postcount=5
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=14588705&postcount=10

You should write and make official complaints if this debt is not yours. I would contact the trading standards and Information Commissioners Office in the first instance. If you have already requested that they do not phone you and are now doing so again, i would also inform them of this as it could be construed as harassment.

boardangels

hi george
i sent the prove it letter and they stopped phoning will i inform them i am sending the letter to the trading standards and is there a letter i can copy?

GeorgeUK

Not that i'm aware of but you mat want to look at the letters on the nationaldebtline page incase there is something there. Failing that a search on this forum or the consumeractiongroup forum may have something. I'll try to have a look later.