identity fraud - Natwest acc in my name - NW does not want to know!

Archi_Bald

I suspect they would have

• sold the phone (you scuppered that by saying you had already returned it)
• not paid the contract, and left you with getting chased, and getting defaults on your credit file (you scuppered that by cancelling the contract)

They'll probably not try the same scam again but they do have all your data so you need to be on high alert / prevent as much as you can by means of CIFAS markers etc.

Given that they know so much about you, it isn't completely impossible that you know the fraudsters, without knowing that it is them iyswim - - so I would be careful with telling people about it. They may just try ways to take further advantage of yourself.

CKhalvashi

It may (before/after writing to them) be worth popping into branch with some form of photo ID, and ask them whether you have any accounts with them.

I've done this before with someone in a similar situation, and the bank were brilliant.

I know it's hassle, but surely if you can close the account yourself, then apply protective registration it may be the easiest way to go about it.

CK

usignuolo

I have spoken to my own bank and they have checked there are no new dds on my account. (We have now put a temporary block on new ones). So the account being used to pay the phone contract must be the fraudulent one set up at NatWest - but if that was set up in my name and at my address surely i would get some confirming paperwork? Which i have not.

No idea how they set it up as I have all relevant proofs needed to set up a new account here. But if it is not my account how are they using it to pay for the phone contract? NatWest say they cannot check if they have an account in my name without me giving them the sort code and account details which I do not have. Going round in circles there.

Archi_Bald

usignuolo wrote: »

I have spoken to my own bank and they have checked there are no new dds on my account. (We have now put a temporary block on new ones). So the account being used to pay the phone contract must be the fraudulent one set up at NatWest - but if that was set up in my name and at my address surely i would get some confirming paperwork? Which i have not.

easy answer - somebody intercepted your mail. Easy to recognise what is from NatWest. If the intercepter also knows that you don't bank with Natwest, they will know that you don't notice missing mail.

The more likely alternative is that the fraudsters used somebody else's account entirely and never set up a bank account in your name. Which again would explain why you did not receive any mail.

usignuolo wrote: »

No idea how they set it up as I have all relevant proofs needed to set up a new account here.

As I said before, it is perfectly possible to open a bank account without "relevant proofs"

usignuolo wrote: »

But if it is not my account how are they using it to pay for the phone contract?

it may have been someone else's account. A Direct Debit can be from anyone's account. There is no check that the bank account is held by the person who takes out the contract. The fraudsters don't care whose account it is as long as it is not theirs.

usignuolo wrote: »

NatWest say they cannot check if they have an account in my name without me giving them the sort code and account details which I do not have. Going round in circles there.

It is all terribly simple, no need to go round in circles! You ask Orange for the sort code and account number. If they give it to you, fine. If they do not, ask them to write to NatWest with the sort code and account number, referencing your complaint number (you do have a complaint reference number from Natwest by now, do you?).

usignuolo

To recap : the phone was bought in my name and a contract with Orange set up in my name via a NatWest bank account which I do not have. ( I know that the phone, orange contract were bought at the same time because they are both on the statement I received in with the parcel from P4U this morning.)

When I contacted Phones4U they told me that there was a NatWest account set up in my name to pay for it, via an Orange plan but would not tell the details. They said they would contact Orange but in the meantime I would get a bill from Orange and to ignore it. I already have an Orange mobile phone account so phoned them and they confirmed that a second (new) plan was set up this morning for a second Orange account in my name on a NatWest account . They have now, at my request, cancelled it and blocked the number assigned to it.

I phone up my bank who were very helpful, just to check nothing new like a new DD (maybe from my account to the NatWest account), had been set up and the answer was no. We have now blocked all new DDs and SOs for the time being. And put a marker on my account.

So I phoned up Nat West to tell them I was not the holder of this account which was a fake. They wanted to know the precise details of how the fake NatWest account had been set up, by who, when and what the sort code and account number were, none of which I had for obvious reasons. I asked how it could be done when their website says you have to present various proofs of identity in person at the bank and I have all these here with me at home. Plus I have had no notification from them of any new account in my name.

I pointed out I could not be expected to know details of the account as I was not the fraudster who stole my identity to set up the fake account in the first place. I was told without this information they had no means of checking on it as they certainly could not check via name, address and DOB. So they had no procedure for dealing with it and could not help. I asked to make a complaint and was cut off.

usignuolo

Making some progress - I have found a copy of the Orange contract in the parcel it is filled in for my name address date of birth and incorrect home phone number but it also has a bank account details for Nat West with my name and account in Woolwich. I have never been to Woolwich. Will get back to them.

Archi_Bald

You need to listen: direct debits only require the sort code and account number. No name. Neither Phones4U nor Orange could tell with any certainty that the sort code and account number they have been given is for an account in your name.

I am not going to repeat the rest of what I already said, but please, in your own interest, read back.

If you are unable to take the matter forward yourself with the information you have been given here, I suggest you need to get a solicitor, or may be the CAB, to help you.

usignuolo

I have spoken to my bank's fraud team and there is no indication of any fraudulent activity on my own account.

Should have made it clear there is a copy Orange contract in the parcel which is in my name with a NatWest account in Chatham (I have never ben to Chatham). It has only the most basic information about me, name address, DOB, INCORRECT phone number and no signature and appears to have been originated by an Orange branch called WebsideOrders.

Now I have the account number and sort code of the fake NatWest account which is in my name. I have spoken to Nat West fraud team. They checked out the account and sort code and branch code is correct but account code appears to be invalid and may be an overseas account. They are checking it out. Waiting to hear back.

GingerFurball_2

grumbler wrote: »

If the account really exists, then Natwest simply fobbed the OP off by saying that they couldn't identify it by the name, DOB and the address.

Depends on the bank's internal procedures.

Where I work, I cannot divulge account sort codes or account numbers to a customer if I identify the customer by surname and postcode.

grumbler

GingerFurball wrote: »

Depends on the bank's internal procedures.

Where I work, I cannot divulge account sort codes or account numbers to a customer if I identify the customer by surname and postcode.

Well, the procedure is wrong then if in such case like this the victim gets fobbed out.

The fraudster (if he managed to open an account on the OP's name) is the only party that benefits from this stupidity as after he spends the money the bank is left with unrecoverable debt and the victim is left with trashed credit files that will take a lot of time and efforts to clean.