Someone's been applying for balance transfers on my behalf

harryflash

Hi Forum,

Hoping for some advice.

Using a combination of details available on Social Networking websites and my Account Number and Sort Code, someone (I suspect a disgruntled work colleague) has been applying for Credit Cards en-mass on my behalf.

I appear to have made the classic error of leaving a personal document or two on my desk which communicates my Bank Details. The applicant appears to have also guessed wisely as to my Mother's Maiden name, by virtue of the number of friends I have with a common surname...

One agreement which I have received, from Virgin, arrived a day after £2500 mysteriously appeared in my bank account from them. It appears that a £2500 balance transfer was specified to the account when the application was made.

I rang Virgin and they said that I am liable for the 4% levy for the credit before they'll close the application?

I tried to reason with them that this application was not authorised by me but they won't have it.

Have I a leg to stand on?

I'm amazed that money has turned up in my account without my signiture - I've since been on the Virgin site and found that a simple tick box constitutes a signiture to the MBNA?!

bigadaj

The fraudster app eras very intelligent or lucky, not sure which.

Just report it to the police I would have thought.

Norfolk_Jim

I will be amazed if the police are remotely interested.
First of all, put it in writing to Virgin and keep copies of everything.
Find out their complaints procedure and if they continue to be difficult, use it. You'll have to do so before your last action.
Which is - if still no joy - make a complaint to Financial Ombudsman Service.
All this will take a long time to grind through and be a complete pain in the behind. There may be a difference of opinion about this bit but I'd return the money to Virgin immediately and then fight my corner over the 4% fee. It'll muck up your credit record too until they get it sorted out, which if it goes to FOS could be quite a while.

A civil case will be down to the balance of probability - which is more likely? A prankster stole your ID and put in applications for CC's in your name OR you applied for credit, got cold feet and want to wriggle out of the 4% fee.
A £100 fee + Interest charges compared to having your credit trashed and spending hours and hours trying to sort it out. I think I would size with the customer - but as a FOS referral costs Virgin far more than £100, I'd imagine they'll settle with you long before you get that far - especially if you politely tell them what you intend to do unless they resolve your complaint amicably. Dont threaten, just inform - you'll get more flies with jam than shinola

bargainbetty

The police won't be remotely interested, but if you formally report it as fraud, then you will get a crime reference number that you can submit to Virgin. If you have formally reported it as fraud, they might be more willing to waive the fee. You can also have the note put on your credit file to prevent negative markers from volumes of applications.

It will also help to report everything similar as fraud, and if there are more than two or three things like this, you would probably want a real investigation to be undertaken, with one very simple tracking item recorded for each - the applicant's IP address. That would help you track down the person doing it.

If you think you know who it might be, leave the details of the crime reference with the words 'track applicants IP' scrawled across it. See who goes pale.

Also warn your bank, ask for new account details, close the other one, and for heaven's sake strip your personal details off the social networking sites.