URGENT FRAUD HELP NEEDED (Please) !!

stumblingtrout

Hello everyone,

I'm after some pretty sharpish help if anyone can assist - and not sure if this is in the right section.

My girlfriend (and yes it really is my girlfriend) got an email from her mum this morning saying that she (mum) had gotten a small loan and it was being paid into her (girlfriends) bank account "to make things easier" because girlfriend was owed £50. Her mum said to take what she was owed, and transfer the rest over.

Anyway, so the amount arrived in my girlfriends account - £400 from some company that shows up as "EXPRESS FIN BROM L" - a Payday loan maybe?

The £350 is transferred over to her mum online and the £50 owed is kept.

Simple?

Girlfriend remembers that her mum doesn't really have a job and so cant get a payday loan. We get suspicious and I do an experian credit check for her. There are 4 seperate entries under credit checks from payday loan companies all done in the past 4 days. Obviously this is nothing to do with my girlfriend and she is really upset about this. Presumably 4 credit searches for loans on her file is going to affect her.

More to the point, can a loan company pay a loan into an account thats not the policyholders?

If not, then the big fear is that her mum has taken out a 1700% payday loan in her (girlfriends) name.

The money has already been transferred over to her mum so if this turns out to be the case then is she screwed?

Her mum has done things like this before - borrowed literally hundreds on the promise it was to be repaid and never seen again, and even intercepted bank cards and maxed out a student overdraft...and a tax rebate cheque for £350 that mysteriously disappeared and HMRC said was cashed. Nothing so far has been reported as we are talking family - but this is the last straw.

Any suggestions please? Is it looking bad for my girlfriend?

She already struggles as it is, even with my help and she can't afford any more financial hardship at the hands of her dishonest mother any more.

Thanks for any help.

Regards,

ST.

DarkConvict

Are these full searches or just trace searches.

Full searches would indicate an application for credit.

My advice would be to contact the credit reference agency and state you have no made any applications for credit.
They should be able to provide details of who searched for it, you can then chase the person who did the search to ask why it was done.

I would still contact the police if it turns out people are applying for credit in your name. It is fraud.

EXPRESS FIN BROM L http://www.expressfin.co.uk/

blondieliz

Hmmm - hate to be the bringer of bad news, but the financial providers I worked for used to take a bit of a 'tough !!!!' view from their angle (harsh as hell, I know), and the advice used to be - you will need to speak to the companies fraud team who usually won't do too much unless the police have been called......

I am guessing that your g/friend might not want to do this, but sadly I think it may be the option.

At the end of the day, it's identity fraud.

Wow - sounds like her mom needs a good kick up the a55.

DarkConvict

financial providers I worked for used to take a bit of a 'tough !!!!' view from their angle

I'm very surprised, they would be technically assisting in the act of fraud. If your not liable its nothing to do with you, it was there mistake for failing to undertake sufficient identity checks.

char_student

What a lovely mother your girlfriend has...not

blondieliz

I totally agree with you, but technically, it is not their fault if a person applied using what are really genuine details. It's sad, but the person who has ahd the identity stolen needs to report it to the police as it is an offence. If they choose not to do this then the company expect something to be sorted between the parties, though they will of course offer some support and guidance to the victim.

It happens more than you realise, though usually it's the kids doing it in the parents names.

stumblingtrout

Thanks for the replies.

I don't know what type of searches they were, this is how they show up if it helps?

http:// img402.imageshack.us/img402/9890/creditp.jpg (remove the space)

When confronted about the searches, she said to my GF that "They show up as your name because of the accounts (or something) being linked..." Is it just me or does that sound like complete rubbish?

Thanks

ST

DaveLy

Your girlfriends mother has taken a payday loan out in her daughters name from the looks of things.

Get the police involved.

DVardysShadow

Mother is damned clever. The money has been put through daughter's account, and mother has hold of the money. It is going to be hard to prove that the loan was not taken out by daughter...

stumblingtrout

I thought this may be the case.

There isnt a loan showing up anywhere in the first section of the credit report though, would there be if it was in her name? Its just her bank accounts and stuff which are all as they should be.

Ames

Unfortunately the banks wont help unless it's reported to the police, I had something similar with my ex.