Identity theft question

DVardysShadow

unholyangel wrote: »

You can write to the credit agency and inform them their details are inaccurate and that you are aware under the DPA they have a duty to check their information and rectify it where it is inaccurate.

Pretty sure if you go to www.ico.gov.uk you'll find a template letter you can use

I agree. The Information Commissioners Office should be able to assist.

It is fairly fundamental that you cannot be damned with information which you cannot challenge or get corrected. Anyone who mindlessly chants "It's data protection" at you needs putting straight on their data protection responsibilities. "Data Protection" is not an excuse to prevent you challenging information, it is a requirement on the organisation processing data to do it correctly.

unholyangel

DVardysShadow wrote: »

I agree. The Information Commissioners Office should be able to assist.

It is fairly fundamental that you cannot be damned with information which you cannot challenge or get corrected. Anyone who mindlessly chants "It's data protection" at you needs putting straight on their data protection responsibilities. "Data Protection" is not an excuse to prevent you challenging information, it is a requirement on the organisation processing data to do it correctly.

Correct. From what i remember reading, the DPA was implemented to give power to individuals, NOT to give power to the data controllers. The law is actually quite strict on what information can be processed and how it can be processed.

I feel like i've mentioned the DPA quite a lot this week, that could be taken as a bad sign, or it could be a good sign that perhaps (hopefully) more people will become aware of their rights surrounding issues like this! I do feel that we need to always try and stay level headed, understanding and not instantly jump to "rights" in every situation. But if companies stopped taking the !!!!, perhaps we "consumers" would have a little more faith that we wouldnt have to rely on our rights to have matters set straight.

IMO every company, organisation etc should have a "rule" that if something requires just a bit of common sense to sort it out, disregard company policy and do it! Would make life so much easier for both them and the public!

Michael36

Thanks for all that have posted. I know that there is an injustice here and I am taking steps to try and fix it.

However, I'd like to get back to the original question:

How can I make absolutely certain that nobody else has a credit card registered at my address. The three on-line credit checks I have performed are show everything is fine. I only have a name of this alleged account holder but I don't have a credit card company.

wealdroam

Michael36 wrote: »

How can I make absolutely certain that nobody else has a credit card registered at my address.

Put simply... you can't.

As mentioned earlier, any credit reference information is based on a person, not on an address.

You have no right to information about another person.
Even if they are using your address, you have no right to their personal information.

Your only hope is to write to all the card companies, but I really cannot see them giving you information about another person, can you?

You have a name... what further information do you want?
You want their address? They're using yours.

ThumbRemote

As an aside, does anyone know if the OP may be entitled to compensation from the credit reference company?

I'm assuming the OP can demonstrate a financial loss through not getting the job, which is down to the credit reference agency holding incorrect data on them.

unholyangel

ThumbRemote wrote: »

As an aside, does anyone know if the OP may be entitled to compensation from the credit reference company?

I'm assuming the OP can demonstrate a financial loss through not getting the job, which is down to the credit reference agency holding incorrect data on them.

I believe OP would have to demonstrate that if everything had came back fine, they would have definitely been given the position.

That aside, the data the company hold could technically be correct. If perhaps it was a previous occupier/tenant.

But as has already been said, credit checks are against an individual and not the address. Therefore technically OP's data is correct, just the history of their current address may not be.

PZH

Michael36 wrote: »

I applied for a job at company X and they checked my security profile using one of the (UK based) companies that check profiles.

wealdroam wrote: »

There is no way that you can be held responsible for anyone else's credit history, and it is unfair of company X to judge you on this snippet of information.

The problem is - it is a SECURITY check that is being done (and the credit check of a household forms part of that check) - and they may deem that the OP is a security risk due to someone associated with their household being in debt (and therefore open to bribary, corruption, etc, etc..)?

unholyangel wrote: »

That aside, the data the company hold could technically be correct. If perhaps it was a previous occupier/tenant.

But as has already been said, credit checks are against an individual and not the address. Therefore technically OP's data is correct, just the history of their current address may not be.

And hence there lies the problem ?

unholyangel

phoodless wrote: »

The problem is - it is a SECURITY check that is being done (and the credit check of a household forms part of that check) - and they may deem that the OP is a security risk due to someone associated with their household being in debt (and therefore open to bribary, corruption, etc, etc..)?



And hence there lies the problem ?

Yes because a credit check failing totally reflects on whether the individual or not is corrupt :S The cases you hear about on the news is usually people from good credit backgrounds stealing to pay for a lifestyle they cant afford. If the person in debt was likely to steal to pay for things, they probably wouldnt be in debt as they'd have stolen to pay it! A psychological test would be the only way to realistically determine who would be likely to crack under pressure and display questionable morals. And even then, you'll still get some who will slip through the cracks!

Personally I feel that credit checking for jobs is completely outdated. By all means perform a criminal check to see whether there is any history of theft or fraud - that is more accurate on whether the character is "corrupt" or not. A credit check bears no relevance on your character.

Considering the national debt along with how many people are in debt now, its a bloody wonder they manage to find people to employ at all! Also love how the Government lecture the nation on how to "live within your means"............given they have enough debt to sink a ship :rotfl:


But like i said, the job offer would have to be real for OP to be able to even contemplate a claim. If the credit companies information is correct though, the claim would likely fail.

Michael36

Once again, thanks for all of the replies.

Just to clarify, I have a signed contract from employer X: the security checks were carried out after we both signed.

The SECURITY check includes such things as qualifications, employment history, criminal record, credit etc. Only the credit check flagged something up.

The alleged holder of the card has the same surname as me and I know for a fact that I am the only person with my surname that has ever owned this house.

Of course, I have told company X multiple times now that I do not know this person adn they certainly don't live here.

Assume for now that there is something real here (and it's not a silly error, for example by the security checking company) then how is it possible for another person to register a credit card at my address without me knowing? All the CC companies I have spoken to are adamant that they always send stuff through the post (Pin #, statements etc.). Maybe my post is being intercepted somehow ?

unholyangel

Michael36 wrote: »

Once again, thanks for all of the replies.

Just to clarify, I have a signed contract from employer X: the security checks were carried out after we both signed.

The SECURITY check includes such things as qualifications, employment history, criminal record, credit etc. Only the credit check flagged something up.

The alleged holder of the card has the same surname as me and I know for a fact that I am the only person with my surname that has ever owned this house.

Of course, I have told company X multiple times now that I do not know this person adn they certainly don't live here.

Assume for now that there is something real here (and it's not a silly error, for example by the security checking company) then how is it possible for another person to register a credit card at my address without me knowing? All the CC companies I have spoken to are adamant that they always send stuff through the post (Pin #, statements etc.). Maybe my post is being intercepted somehow ?

Do you happen to know who the card is with, or what the persons first name or initial is? You could check with royal mail to see if someone has set up any kind of forwarding system but i cant think of any that wouldnt affect your mail too (unless its possible to just forward mail for one person? could explain the surname being same but first name different).

If you know who the card company are with, you could try contacting them, explaining the situation and that you have reason to believe your address has been used fraudulently. Perhaps the person had the card registered to your address but has since changed the address?

What are your prospective employers saying? Have they rescinded the job offer or are they willing to try and get it sorted?