Odd telephone call from First Credit Limited

pauloP_2

I received 'the letter' yesterday morning, and at first was scared out of my witts about it.

It was addressed to a person with a quite similar name to me, and was addressed to the correct address (which i have only lived in for a year).

It stated that i owe £1700 to 'Vinquis Bank', who i have never even heard of before, never mind dealt with. And that failure to repay in full would leave them with 'NO OPTION BUT TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION'. So naturally i was bricking it!

But then i thought to myself....hang on, i've only lived in this house almost 1yr to the date. I have only ever taken out ONE loan in my life, my car loan which is paid up in 2 payments time. I have never ever EVER owned a credit card, or got into any debt of any sort. :A

This is obviously some sort of phishing scam.

at first i was tempted to ring up and blast them down the phone....but then i thought about it...and it might all be a scam. And the act of actually phoning them up might be just the bait they need to get your real identity/DOB etc out of you.....so i didnt bother, i went to my bank instead and asked if they knew anything about these companies or the 'debt', which they didnt.

My next stop was going to be the police station to report an act of fraud. But i think i will wait to see if i hear anything more from them yet.

I called the Trading Standards Debt line, and also emailed them explaining my story. They told me to photocopy the letter, put it back in the envelope with *name not known at this address* and under no circumstances give them my real name, if they try to contact again etc....

The nice lady also told me, if the worst thing happens, and i go to court over a debt that can not possibly be mine, they will ask me.....'Are you Mr ABC?' i will say 'No i am not.' And they will say 'Case dismissed.' (or whatever it is these kind of people say in court)

But still. It is very worrying for me. I have lost sleep over it, and was a bag of nerves for quite a while.

From reading peoples posts on here, i feel better that there are more of us in the same boat. but this type of bullying behavior is completely unacceptable.

My next stop IS the police station, if these kind of things continue to the point that it has to other people on here. Even if all i have on them is harassment.

pauloP_2

UPDATE: i got the expected 2nd letter today confirming i can reduce the debt by paying it within the next 7 days.

photocopied it, and sent it straight back.

Chr1s888

If this company keeps sending letters to my address with someone elses name that has not ever lived here can they do anything? I do not want to contact them in anyway as they may use my information and manipulate it to say the debt is mine. It is so annoying to receive these letters addressed to a person that never has lived at my address.

Any information regarding this would be much appreciated. thanks!

Angelkisses

I got a letter today from 1 st credit saying that my address had been suppiled as a possible address for a person (me) having lived at a previous address which i left 1990 ,so how odd is that ..i am not ringing them but i emailed them saying if theres a debt i want proof dates and whatever to my knowledege i dont have any debts that are not paid ..what puzzles me why they are quoting an address that i left in 1990

tiddles93

Angelkisses wrote: »

I got a letter today from 1 st credit saying that my address had been suppiled as a possible address for a person (me) having lived at a previous address which i left 1990 ,so how odd is that ..i am not ringing them but i emailed them saying if theres a debt i want proof dates and whatever to my knowledege i dont have any debts that are not paid ..what puzzles me why they are quoting an address that i left in 1990

Now there's a coincidence, i received an exact same letter yesterday.

I have absolutely no intention of contacting them at all.

fatbelly

tiddles93 wrote: »

Now there's a coincidence, i received an exact same letter yesterday.

I have absolutely no intention of contacting them at all.

That's probably safest. With these 'bottom end' companies I take the view that 'any contact merely encourages them'

When they make a direct and referenced assertion: e.g. You owe us £1000 for Nat West credit card xxxx that has been assigned to us', well that is probaly the time for a prove-it letter (or a statute barred letter).

tiddles93

Thanks for that fatbelly, i know i don't owe anything to anybody i don't have and never have had a credit card.

The address that they quoted was an ex girlfriend i stayed at for approx a month 10 years ago.

I really don't know what this is all about.

fatbelly

tiddles93 wrote: »

I really don't know what this is all about.

1st credit are fishing and waiting for someone to bite.

Don't let it be you.

Thryi

tiddles93 wrote: »

Now there's a coincidence, i received an exact same letter yesterday.

I have absolutely no intention of contacting them at all.

Funny that - I recieved one the other day too - I liked the bit about "if no response is recieved within 10 days of issue we will assume that you are the individual we wish to contact and will of course ensure that all relevant correspondence is sent to you" I would like to see them try!!!

The only debt I had at the postcode given - where I lived 6 years ago (which was pretty much all they had in the letter) was for council tax and that I am paying off with the council direct.

I also find this quite funny timing as I have just bought a brand new car and got a credit card...suddenly out of the blue I get a letter from this apparent crowd of clowns...

tiddles93

For anybody interested!


The Administration of Justice Act 1970.

Section 40 of the act provides that a person commits an offence if, with the object of coercing another person to pay money claimed from the other as a debt due under contract, he or she:

1. harasses the other with demands for payment which by their frequency, or the manner or occasion of their making, or any accompanying threat or publicity are calculated to subject him or his family or household to alarm, distress or humiliation;
2. falsely represents, in relation to the money claimed, that criminal proceedings lie for failure to pay it;
3. falsely represent themselves to be authorised in some official capacity to claim or enforce payment;
4. utters a document falsely represented by him to have some official character or purporting to have some official character which he knows it has not.

Paragraph (1) above does not apply to anything done by a person which is reasonable (and otherwise legal) for the purpose of:

* of securing the discharge of an obligation due, or believed by him to be due, to himself or to persons for whom he acts, or protecting himself or them from future loss; or
* of the enforcement of any liability by legal process.

It is also provided that a person may be guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) above if he concerts with others in the taking of such action as is described in that paragraph, notwithstanding that his own course of conduct does not by itself amount to harassment.




Dear Sirs,

Please read the following notice thoroughly and carefully before responding. It is a notice. It informs you. It means what it says.

As you are a third party intervener in this matter acting without authority, I DO NOT give you permission to interfere in my commercial affairs as you have no legal standing. I do not have a contract with you and any permission that you believe you may have from me is hereby withdrawn. If you believe that you have power of attorney to act on my behalf you are hereby fired, and any consent that you believe you may have, tacit or otherwise, is hereby withdrawn.

I am familiar with the terms of Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

I am well aware of Section 40, sub-section (3) which you may consider entitles you to proceed. However upon full commercial liability and penalty of perjury you will need to supply the following Proofs of Claims:

1. Proof of Claim that your actions are reasonable.

2. Proof of Claim that any obligation on my part is due, or believed by you to be due to you, and not to some other party.

3a. Proof of Claim that any obligation on my part is to yourself by providing sight of the appropriate contract, or

3b. Proof of Claim that any obligation on my part to persons for whom you act by providing sight of the appropriate contract.

4. Proof of Claim that any obligation on my part protects you from any future loss.

5. Proof of Claim that any obligation on my part is enforcement of a legal process on a Human Being under Common Law jurisdiction, who cannot possibly have such liability under said jurisdiction.

You would of course need to provide these Proofs, including showing the full and audited accounting, if you chose to go to law.

Finally, you do not, nor have you ever had, my permission to use or process my personal data in any way, and so pursuant to the Data Protection Act 1998, I hereby demand that you cease use of any and all data with regard to me, and that you immediately destroy all of my data held on your records. Failure to do so will result in a report being submitted to The Information Commissioner for Data Protection breaches.

You will be deemed to have been served notice of my request and Charges and I will deem it served Three (3) days from the date of this letter.This letter has been sent recorded delivery and proof of delivery is proof of receipt. I am advising you that any communications from you including but not limited to letters, phone calls and text messages received after this date will be recorded/noted with the intention of them being used as evidence.

Sincerely and without ill will, vexation or frivolity,