Help with Identity Theft/Fraud please

critchley

We live at 21 Madeup Road and we are always getting mail for the block of flats they built down the road called Madeup Court because there is a flat 21 in there (but they should put their address as 33/35 Made up Road but they never do) and we have the same postcode.

Anyway, the other day my son got a letter addressed to him by name but saying the address as Madeup Court. He opened it and found it was an unpaid account reminder for a load of stuff from a catalogue that he has no knowledge of!!!

He went straight to the Police and they basically told him that no crime had been comitted and that anyone could open an account in any name. What??

This unpaid debt now appears on his credit rating (he looked it up with Experian) which he's been struggling to get sorted without this.

Surely some crime has been committed here?

The Catalogue company have said they will look into it but the police are totally disinterested and more or less accused my son of opening the account himself. When he said he would go to the flat and sort it out himself they told him he would be prosecuted.

Where's the justice in that? Any ideas what he can do please?

Joe_Bloggs

Check out your local citizens advice bureau and also the CIFAS website. There are sections relating to identity theft (impersonation fraud).
J_B.

critchley

Joe_Bloggs wrote:

Check out your local citizens advice bureau and also the CIFAS website. There are sections relating to identity theft (impersonation fraud).
J_B.

Thanks Joe_Blogs - will check it out and let him know.

bargainbetty

I'd also suggest he contacts the catalogue company and advises them that the account is fradulent and that is should be suspended immediately. They should have details of all deliveries etc to hand over to the police, as they are actually the defrauded party.

Identitiy theft is a crime if it is being used to defraud a person/business. Opening the account isn't, but stealing the goods IS.

Advise Experian of the situation, and give them the contact details of the people at each organisation. They will be able to remove it eventually.

Don't let him go over to the flat though - he will get in more trouble that way, and ABH doesn't look good on a record!