Help! identity theft!

lb364

Here's the situation:

A few weeks ago, my dad received a phone call from a bank asking whether he had applied for a credit card to which he replied no. He was then told someone had in his name, he was then given a number of a credit checking place where they told him there were 8 new credit cards in his name.

One of which had been used so far but my dad didn't have to pay this because some of the details given to the company were wrong anyway. Since then, my dad is receiving next to no post and our post is coming all at once (we're receiving none approx 3 days a week then suddenly we get a mountain)

I've tried contacting Royal Mail to see if they can look into it but received a ridiculous response of, we can assure you all your mail is being delivered. We have also reported to the police who just gave a crime number.

What do we do now? This is interrupting our lives, constantly not receiving post that we're expecting along with more credit cards we never ordered. Now, I'm also worried other identities have been stolen in our household and am worried I'll suddenly get a bill for a small fortune!

Any ideas? Anyone else been through this? How do we get it to stop?!

olly300

I am receiving my post like that at the moment as the post workers are not the normal 2 who deliver on the street.

I suggest your dad follows the advice here:
http://www.callcredit.co.uk/consumer/your-questions-answered/faq-display/identity-theft#faq3

DickDastardly_2

This has happened to us. First, deep breath and calm. Organise yourself for a LONG haul.

First go to the main credit reference agencies (Experian etc) and get your credit files. Go through them highlighting all possible fraudulent credit or associated credit. Write to them to explain you have had your ID stolen. Contact CIFAS who can add a note to your credit files. Ask the agencies to dissasociate known wrong or suspicious information.

The draw up letters to ALL the credit comanies, catalogues, etc that are giving credit to the fraudsters. Get them to close and trace accounts, etc. Some firms are superb, others are plain crap at this. Be patient and don't accept their flannel. Make them do the checks they should have done before hand and then get them to correct the information on your credit files.

Go back to the Police. If cards have been obtained falsely they have to investigate as it is a criminal offence. We got stung here because the sods that took our ID where paying back the cards to start and aparently taking a card out in someone elses name is NOT a crime, only when they fail to repay does it become an offence of deception. Impersonation is not criminal either.

If you get really stuck as we did, complain to the financial ombudsman and/or get your MP involved. We took nearly 2 years initially to distance ourselves from the fraudsters and then because the credit reference people are so slack and the firms incapable of maintainng records, it flared up again a few years ago and it took further threats of the Data Protection Registrar to get the records put straight again.

It is very frustrating and underlines how little the companies and govemrent departments care for the ordinary folk, i.e. sod all.

Keep records of ALL letters, conversations and commmunications and build them into a long-term file, you will need to refer to it. Ask if you need more info and good luck.

Scout

Sorry to jump on the back of this thread, but you may be able to help me too.

I have today received letter from Friends Provident detailing payments to be taken for a couple of policies. However, it's my full address but not my name? I have contacted FP and they have taken my address off these other people's files and put a note on to say it's my address. As a one off I wouldn't be too unduly bothered except last month I received a number of letters from another financial institution, to these same people. Although most letters were returned to sender, I did open one with no return address on the back and it was from this same institution and was discussing some policy or other the people might be taking out.

I will be checking my Experian etc reports as a matter of course, but as it's only my address that's being used, is there anything I can do now to make sure there are no adverse financial impacts in the future? I am very careful about shredding all documentation etc, shop online safely and have lived in my house for over 6 years - these other people have never lived here. It's also not a "mistaken" address as there's no other similar sounding address around here.

All help gratefully received.

geordie_joe

lb364 wrote: »

Here's the situation:


Since then, my dad is receiving next to no post and our post is coming all at once (we're receiving none approx 3 days a week then suddenly we get a mountain)

Any ideas? Anyone else been through this? How do we get it to stop?!

The first thing I would do is go to/ring your local sorting office and see if you mail is being redirected. Also check that it is the postman that is delivering your mail.

I sounds like someone has redirected your mail, so they can pick out the letters they don't want you to see, then posting the rest through your door themselves.

skint-student-nurse

I have the same problem with my post - i had nothing for days and days and i got home from work to find 15 letters and a few parcels with the letters having post marks from a while ago and i was told that there is nothing wrong with the system. however, i also went to pick something up from the postal depot the other day, i was told by a worker 'oh, we heard you dont live there anymore',so please, as soon as you can, contact royal mail again to find out what is happening with your post. if need be, put in an official complaint like i did.

olly300

Scout wrote: »

Sorry to jump on the back of this thread, but you may be able to help me too.

I have today received letter from Friends Provident detailing payments to be taken for a couple of policies. However, it's my full address but not my name? I have contacted FP and they have taken my address off these other people's files and put a note on to say it's my address. As a one off I wouldn't be too unduly bothered except last month I received a number of letters from another financial institution, to these same people. Although most letters were returned to sender, I did open one with no return address on the back and it was from this same institution and was discussing some policy or other the people might be taking out.

I will be checking my Experian etc reports as a matter of course, but as it's only my address that's being used, is there anything I can do now to make sure there are no adverse financial impacts in the future? I am very careful about shredding all documentation etc, shop online safely and have lived in my house for over 6 years - these other people have never lived here. It's also not a "mistaken" address as there's no other similar sounding address around here.

All help gratefully received.

You should really start a new thread.

I know people where this has happened to and the financial institutions are simply not interested as the crime has not been committed against you but simply an address, and credit is linked to the person not the address.

The only thing you can really do is open every single letter and contact the institutions telling them that these people don't live at your address. (Some will send you on a wild goose chase through departments )

I would also contact National Hunter - the secret credit agency and get them to put something on your files. More details about them are in this Guardian article. http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/nov/15/national-hunter-credit-agency

lb364

Thanks for the replies, the post is being delivered by postie (we're very nosey!) but then weird stuff keeps happening like the other day we received post delivered by the postie then in the afternoon a whole pile of post was dumped on our doorstep, mostly for my Dad, but we didn't see who it was and don't usually get two deliveries...

Thanks for all the advice Dastardly...*deep breath*

custardy

lb364 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, the post is being delivered by postie (we're very nosey!) but then weird stuff keeps happening like the other day we received post delivered by the postie then in the afternoon a whole pile of post was dumped on our doorstep, mostly for my Dad, but we didn't see who it was and don't usually get two deliveries...

Thanks for all the advice Dastardly...*deep breath*

you are very unlikely to get 2 letter deliveries from RM
have you considered CCTV?

custardy

skint-student-nurse wrote: »

I have the same problem with my post - i had nothing for days and days and i got home from work to find 15 letters and a few parcels with the letters having post marks from a while ago and i was told that there is nothing wrong with the system. however, i also went to pick something up from the postal depot the other day, i was told by a worker 'oh, we heard you dont live there anymore',so please, as soon as you can, contact royal mail again to find out what is happening with your post. if need be, put in an official complaint like i did.

have you returned any mail as not known,gone away? eg junk mail or if you live in a flat do you get mail delivered with incorrect flat numbers?

charlotechai

Sorry to hear about your situation! The same thing happened to me a while ago, here is a good guide to immediate next steps to take: http://factoidz.com/12-steps-you-need-to-take-if-youve-been-a-victim-of-identity-fraud/. This site also had a good comparison of the ID theft prevention services, you might want to check that out as well.