Possible fraud??

MaximumImpact

Hi,

Apologies if this is not the right area but I'm sure you are all the best people to help! I recently bought my credit reports from Experian and Equifax just to check on things as I am loking to buy a new car and wanted to make sure that I was OK.

I found on it that I have been financially linked to my Ex partner who has lots of debt and owes thousands...He also has no intention of paying any of it. I managed to sort that one and they have dissolved the link.

However today, I checked again and found an account that I have no knowledge of that has over 18 defaults against it. It was closed almost 2 and a half years ago...Coincidentally, after we split finally. This account was opened in my name but I have never opened this account and have no knowledge of it at all....

My questions are - Will this cause me problems with getting credit? How do I prove that I never opened it? (I have my suspicions that it is fraudulent and was opened by the ex when we had a brief split and he refurnished the house). How do I go about getting it removed?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help

naijapower

This would be a tough and long process. You would need to contact the financial institution, CRA and the Police as well

sarahs999

I think you need to start by contacting Experian/equifax and telling them you never opened the account - and then possibly the bank that held the account. But I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly.

Uniscots97

Didn't want to read and run. If it was me I'd go to the nice people at the CAB, although someone else might have a better idea how to get this dealt with.


p.s. when I started typing my reply no one else had posted. Hence my reply.

Merlinexcalibur

Not sure. However, I found a fairly similar thing on my credit report a few years back. Never seen it before but was a little puzzled why was someone living at my flat after I left it listed on my credit report? Nothing to do with me, but was listed there. I don't know whether that was how a credit report is supposed to look having not seen one before then and not since. Just thought to mention it because your situation as described sounds a lot like mine. I never did anything, though, as nothing ever happened to my credit.

However. A suggestion as someone mentioned the police. Could it be worth contacting their serious crimes unit? The one dealing with fraud, rather than going through the normal police station route.

This account was opened in my name but I have never opened this account and have no knowledge of it at all....

Oh, yes that's fraud. To use another person's name, as you already know, to obtain financial services by deception. I'd contact someone of authority pronto because you may find other instances of it in other aspects of your life that are not showing up on your file but may come back later. The fact he opened it after you parted could also indicate it was done malisciously and pre-medidated. Don't mean to sound like I am on CSI - which I don't watch incidentally - but looking at the facts as presented, without further info, I would conclude that would be on your side eg how it happened. You split up, suddenly this account is opened in your name.

I don't know what your relationship is with your ex-partner but I think it would now be sensible to be contacting a judiscial service of some kind.

MaximumImpact

Thanks for all replies. The debt is a catalogue account which was closed but isnt an account which I would ever open, also I always pay the full amount each month so I know that this is nothing to do with me. Shop Direct Financial Services are looking into it for me.

I am thinking about contacting the Police but not sure they will be interested as the account is now closed and the ex has left the country...also he used to work for them as a Police Officer!!!

Merlinexcalibur

Another thought, looking at it a different way. You may also be the victim of identity theft/fraud. But, on the face of it, sounds like it's the former eg your ex-partner. But the ID theft angle was something I just realized/thought of. Which it is TBH, regardless.

Merlinexcalibur

lso he used to work for them as a Police Officer!!!

Ah, I see the problem. I won't 'read' too much into why he might have left the country, whilst tempting. Hope that made sense?

And SDFS. I had an instance some time ago of a letter I received from a foreign account holder but sent to my address. SDFS did not take seriously the fact their slip up could have potentiall breached my personal data and the Data Protection Act as that person then had my name. They were not apologetic and I never got an explanation from them.

Mention that because SDFS may investigate it but they will only use certain criteria. But the real issue here is the worry over whether it may happen again and from the same direction. Anyway, hope you get somewhere with it because there is nothing I loathe more than a puzzling situation that arises in your life and you are left dumbfounded over it because you didn't know how it arose.