Help with a stolen identity issue

sportyrich2000_2

I am actually asking this on behalf of someone but I have all the details I need. Someone I know recently split from a boyfriend and since then he has managed to use her account details and, she assumes, forged her signature to set up a mobile phone contract in her name with Vodafone. He then ran up a substantial bill on the phone. Vodafone have been contacted, and in fairness to them, have said that as 'she' set it up then there's not a great deal they can do. The police have also said they can't do anything?

Is this right and is there any advice that can be given?

Jon_01

If it's a fraud issue she should be talking to the fraud dept at Voda, not CS.

bebewoo

If he set up the Vodafone account via direct debit on her bank account she can dispute it under the Direct Debit Guarantee.

Exhortation

Given that we're talking about a man impersonating a woman, I'm guessing the contract wasn't taken out in a shop but online, in which case there is no signature forgery involved. Jon 01 knows what he's talking about. Your friend needs to speak to Vodafone's fraud people. She should also be talking to the police, I reckon.

DUTR

sportyrich2000 wrote: »

I am actually asking this on behalf of someone but I have all the details I need. Someone I know recently split from a boyfriend and since then he has managed to use her account details and, she assumes, forged her signature to set up a mobile phone contract in her name with Vodafone. He then ran up a substantial bill on the phone. Vodafone have been contacted, and in fairness to them, have said that as 'she' set it up then there's not a great deal they can do. The police have also said they can't do anything?

Is this right and is there any advice that can be given?

What seems odd in the story (recalling on when I last started a contract) the debit card has a charge against it, so this should have been observed on the current account much before the big bill arrives :eek:

sportyrich2000_2

Thanks for the advice so far. As I say she has gone to the police but they couldnt do anything. I have tried to find Vodafones Fraud Department number but can't (any clues?). She may just have to ring them to find it admittedly. Knowing who she is she wouldnt necessarily be the sort to check her bank statements and see that something has been set up until she received the bill.

She has presumed that it was set up online however it is possible that he went into a shop with another girl who took on the identity of this girl. If in the shop then would there have been a signature required....and even online wouldn't they send a direct debit form out? Is there a Direct Debit guarantee for online transactions?

Wintermute

There's something I'm not sure of here, generally when taking out a new contract online or over the phone the SIM or handset has to be sent to the billing address (i.e. your friends address), unless he has access to this address there'd be no way to get access to the handset/SIM. If the phone was taken out in store they usually require some sort of proof of ID (drivers license, passport or similar) along with a proof of address such as utility bills.

Has your friend had any prior dealings with vodafone or has she ever taken out a contract on her ex's behalf?

Jon_01

sportyrich2000 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice so far. As I say she has gone to the police but they couldnt do anything. I have tried to find Vodafones Fraud Department number but can't (any clues?). She may just have to ring them to find it admittedly. Knowing who she is she wouldnt necessarily be the sort to check her bank statements and see that something has been set up until she received the bill.

She has presumed that it was set up online however it is possible that he went into a shop with another girl who took on the identity of this girl. If in the shop then would there have been a signature required....and even online wouldn't they send a direct debit form out? Is there a Direct Debit guarantee for online transactions?

Some networks fraud dept aren't 'customer facing' and you have to report it to CS who will then pass it over to the dept, so you may not de able to find a number for them.

If the acc was setup in store they 'should' have copies of whatever was used as proof of ID. They should take a look at these to see if their genuine of not (or even if they were the right things to accept as proof). Depends on if it was taken out through a Voda store or a dealer.
They may have set billing to online only, in which case there wouldn't be a bill sent out.

Vodafone

Hi Sportyrich2000,

I can understand your friend must be very concerned about this. If she could email us in the details here with WRT135 in the subject then we can pass this on to our fraud department for her.

Thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

GeoThermal

If he set the contract up online he may have the 3 digit security from the back of her debit card so it would be worth getting the bank to cancel the card and issue a new one.