Mother unknowingly taken cards in my name! what to do?

Kieran_W

Really need help here, my girlfriend has lead to believe that her mother completely without her permition or knowledge has taken out credit cards in her name, she needs to find out what companies and money is involved, how can she check this out?

She can’t/wont ask her mother so our first thought was to send an email to all credit card companies but this will take a good while I can imagine? and they might not give information for security reasons?

many thanks to all who help

iamana1ias

She should check her credit report.

worried_jim

She needs to get her credit report-
http://www.equifax.co.uk/
she then needs to contact not only the companies that her mother has taken credit with but also any companies that she has made applications to as well and tell them that it is not her but a third party, her mother, who has done this.
The to prevent this happening again she need to contact CIFAS-
http://www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=565-85
and put herself in protective registration, this will prevent her Mother trying again. Good luck.

lisyloo

She could also do the free id thing (google free id protection).
This is where you put a thumb print on your credit file with a notice saying that you want all credit applications to contain your thumb print.
If companies ignore the instructions it's their fault.
This would only cost a very small amount and you could borrow the inkpad at your bank, so only 3 letters.

this would of course only stop future applications and doesn't deal with any already made.

worried_jim

I wouldn't recommend this point of action, a thumb print requires her to be there in person, not very handy when you call phonebank at 11pm to extend your overdraft as your car has broken down and you need to pay for recovery. Nice idea though.

ILW

Why can she not ask her mother?

lisyloo

a thumb print requires her to be there in person

err, no it doesn't.
You put your thumbprint on an application and put it in the post.

not very handy when you call phonebank at 11pm to extend your overdraft as your car has broken down and you need to pay for recovery

This is for initial credit applications.
Not every customer service request afterwards.
It's a one-off event that you do at the start on application forms.

Why don't you read about it and then make comments?

worried_jim

Because I do it for a job. simples.

lisyloo

Because I do it for a job. simples.

So can you please explain then why you would need a thumbprint for every customer service request/change when you have stated a thumprint is required for a brand new credit application.
Perhaps you can share our knowledge with us if my understading is incorrect.

izools

Kieran_W wrote: »

Really need help here, my girlfriend has lead to believe that her mother completely without her permition or knowledge has taken out credit cards in her name, she needs to find out what companies and money is involved, how can she check this out?

She can’t/wont ask her mother so our first thought was to send an email to all credit card companies but this will take a good while I can imagine? and they might not give information for security reasons?

many thanks to all who help

I don't think this is possible. Her mother would have had to specifically enter your girlfriends name and date of birth.

Not only that, but if your girlfriend doesn't live with her mother, the applications would be declined due to the wrong address being supplied - the creditors would see your girlfriend's accounts and electoral role registration being at a different address and suspect fraud.

Something isn't right here. Either your girlfriend's mother has specifically and maliciously committed fraud or your girlfriend owes more than she wants to let on and is palming it off onto her mum...

Kieran_W

izools wrote: »

I don't think this is possible. Her mother would have had to specifically enter your girlfriends name and date of birth.

Not only that, but if your girlfriend doesn't live with her mother, the applications would be declined due to the wrong address being supplied - the creditors would see your girlfriend's accounts and electoral role registration being at a different address and suspect fraud.

Something isn't right here. Either your girlfriend's mother has specifically and maliciously committed fraud or your girlfriend owes more than she wants to let on and is palming it off onto her mum...

my girlfriend isn't living at her mums but hasn't completely moved out and so she hasn't yet changed any details with the banks etc, of course her mum would know her name and date of birth for applications, she hasn't asked her outright about the credit cards because this will lead to arguments/lies/friction which isn't needed, not at this moment anyway