Credit Card/Been robbed/Please Help

dgx4500

Hi everyone,

I'm in a bit of a situation and I would apreciate some advice if you can.

The story is that someone very close to me has used my identity to get a credit card. This only came to my attention yesterday when I recieved a letter from the credit card company (Capital 1) and a seperate letter from a debt collection company. The amount is just over £1200.

The person who done this came clean straight away. The card was applied for online using my name and sent to their address, an address I have never been registered to. I have my own property and I am on the electoral roll. Now, presumably Capital 1 and the debt co have traced me to my real address to request payment.

I need to know how on earth Capital 1 has given a credit card in my name to an address I don't live at? Is it this easy to commit identity fraud? I am unsure about contacting Capital 1 to make the situation clear because they will presumably report the matter to police and I don't want charges against the person. That wouldn't help things. Am I liable for this debt I knew nothing about?

The person has said they will contact the debt company and come to an agreement but how do I know this will never happen again?

P.S. I am in Scotland where the laws are slightly different I think.

Thanks

dalesrider

dgx4500 wrote: »

The person has said they will contact the debt company and come to an agreement but how do I know this will never happen again?

One word....

POLICE.

Might be worth contacting the card provider about what has happened.
Do a credit check to see what else they have set up.
Contact your bank to make them aware. They may recommend that you register with CIFAS.

izools

You have two choices:

Report the fraud to the police, get the crime reference number, and give it to the capital one fraud team. They will need further information from you and probably a letter. They then write off the debt and remove all trace of it from your credit file in its entirety.

Don't report the fraud to the police and remain liable for the debt, even if your acquaintance pays it off you will still have a default on your credit file and a tattered credit rating for years to come. They will come for you if your friend stops paying or doesn't pay enough.

There's no middle ground, so the choice is yours.

[Deleted User]

dalesrider wrote: »

One word....

POLICE.

Might be worth contacting the card provider about what has happened.
Do a credit check to see what else they have set up.
Contact your bank to make them aware. They may recommend that you register with CIFAS.

Should the bank mention it, I would avoid a CIFAS marker if at all possible. It's presence on your credit file (although not negative in itself) will almost certainly result in a delay in any future credit application. You'll never get an instant decision as the CIFAS marker will have to be checked by a human underwriter.

I'm afraid I have to say that going to the police is the way to handle this. Not only will it wipe out your liability for the debt and clean up any black marks on your credit file but it will also teach the individual concerned a valuable lesson about honesty and integrity. They didn't come clean straight away, they came clean when it became apparent that they were going to get caught - there's a difference.