Identity Theft and Bank Account opening

James

pmduk wrote: »

You can take out protective registration with CIFAS. It means that any applications in your name get extra attention. NB this will apply to any applications made by yourself, but you may like the additional protection.

Two things to do:

1. Consider Free ID Protection rather than CIFAS Protective Registration* (Read the Pros & Cons) click here.

2. Report this to Action Fraud (Click here). There is advice on their website too.

* CIFAS used to be known as the Credit Industries Fraud Avoidance System. They are just that, the Industries Fraud Avoidance System NOT the individuals.

Unfortunately not all lenders are CIFAS members, therefore you are not fully covered. (Just a thought).


Hope this helps and good luck.

New_and_Improved_Me

innovate wrote: »

I reckon it could be as simple as the mistake being with the mobile phone companies.

:mad::mad::mad:Most defiantly NOT a mistake:mad::mad::mad:

This ‘Person’ has opened a Bank account in MY name using MY address (Be it with the wrong DOB), made Credit and Debit transactions on the account for over a month to make it look like a genuine account - and god knows what else he/she has been upto with the account - can’t get any details from bank currently cus they are investigating the account.

Then gone to EVERY phone operator and ordered iPhone and HTC One handsets using the account in my name.

The first I found out was when I got letters from the phone providers telling me that they had set up DD on this bogus account that was opened in my name.

So obviously he has used my details EVERYWHERE to open the account and them commit phone fraud.

The one that really worries me is that one of the phone providers has actually linked a DD to MY ACTUAL account. I’m currently in the process of closing this account and moving all my genuine DD and Standing orders…

Thank god for the phone companies actually sending me confirmation letters. Otherwise I would have never known he/she had taken these 5/8 phone contracts and made a runner leaving me to pick up the pieces.

If I had to take a guess I would say its Defiantly someone I know, or someone that has access to my bins.

So effing annoying….this kind of thing caused SO much hassle to put right and leaves a bad mark on the person who’s been scammed…Thank god I found out about it when I did it could have ben SOOOOOO much worse when they ran up Hundreds or thousands of pounds worth of phone debt using these phones in my name…

This is the problem with EVERYTHING being digital, if i had NOT got these ACTUAL letters from the phone provieders and everything was via email i would have NEVER found out until the Demand letters starting on my doorstep as its my address on the transactions.

The most annoying thing is that this bogus account has been opened for over a month...and NOT a single letter from the bank to me....even just to say WELCOME....

New_and_Improved_Me

roxy28 wrote: »

So far every account opened online i have recived letters about each one,

I agree with you....i would have expected something...

Unless someone intercepted my post.....but seems highly unlikly as its direct into the house letterbox and no-one has access (unless its IMMEDIATE family..but this seems unlikly).....it not a external mailbox....

Weird_Nev

I'm surprised it's only phone contracts. The real value in fradulent bank accounts is having a place to launder money from scams through.

To be honest, it sounds fairly amateur, because you found out about it and the bank can deal with it. If they were serious about maximising the potential of a false bank account, they wouldn't be looking to obtain a few £300 handsets, they'd be looking to rinse thousands through the account.

It's actually a lot of effort to open a fake bank account, obtain supporting documentation etc and there is a decent chance of getting caught, so you'd think they'd want to get more return.

Identity is fascinating, really. WHen it comes down to it, how can you prove that you are who you are? It's all just bits of paper and plastic cards.

New_and_Improved_Me

Weird_Nev wrote: »

I'm surprised it's only phone contracts. The real value in fradulent bank accounts is having a place to launder money from scams through.

To be honest, it sounds fairly amateur, because you found out about it and the bank can deal with it. If they were serious about maximising the potential of a false bank account, they wouldn't be looking to obtain a few £300 handsets, they'd be looking to rinse thousands through the account.

It's actually a lot of effort to open a fake bank account, obtain supporting documentation etc and there is a decent chance of getting caught, so you'd think they'd want to get more return.

I agree, but phone contracts can yield good returns too...I guess it’s not a MASTERMIND we're dealing with...:)..im sure the bank will take care of it and hopefully catch them.

Is there anyway of finding out who it actually was……if they do get caught…....do the police inform you???

Weird_Nev wrote: »

Identity is fascinating, really. WHen it comes down to it, how can you prove that you are who you are? It's all just bits of paper and plastic cards.

Ur right...Who are you again...can i see your passport...:):rotfl::rotfl: