Dont Send Original Birth Certificate

proden_2

Hi all, I was asked to send my original birth certificate into the Pension company and I said no, they were a bit insistent, but I stood ground and got a copy from the Registry office.
Anyway, I left it a few days and called in to see if they had my application to cash in a small pot pension, and when would they deal with it and send back my birth certificate. They said everything was ok and the birth certificate would be sent soon.
About an hour later, the postman knocked and asked for a signature for a recorded delivery letter, lo and behold it was a letter to me stating "Please find enclosed your birth certificate".,.Wow, I thought, their system must be up the creek and it was, because the birth certificate enclosed wasn't mine, it was someone elses even though the letter was addressed to me.
I called in and told them and enquired where was my birth certificate and could I speak to one of the Directors. No was the answer and I was assured my certificate would arrive to me in a week.
Several conversations have now gone on and I am concerned because with my birth certificate is obviously in someone elses hands. They have my DOB and the actual certificate could easily lead to Identity duplication/theft.
Does anyone know if I have a legal case against the pension company ( I won't name them at this time) and what preventative action should I take to stop and Identity fraud that might start. This has all happened in the last two weeks.
Lastly, I am so relieved I never sent in my original certificate.

Help would be greatly appreciated...

rpc

Extracts are so easy to obtain, having the original is nothing major. Are you sure they didn't want "an original" i.e. something issued by the registry not a copy that you made?

Birth certificates are generally considered weaker ID because anyone can get an extract of anyone's birth.

In any case, failure to protect personal information is what http://ico.org.uk/ deal with.

If you really are worried, you can always put a CIFAS marker on your records http://www.cifas.org.uk/pr_for_individuals

System

There is no such thing as an "original" birth cerificate. All certificates are merely certified copies of the original entry in the registrar's birth records.
A certified copy made in 1900 or 1950 or 2014 is still only a copy.

greenglide

So you can claim for the copy that they have lost and get another one....

Move on.........

Dunnit

Nice letter to the company explaining your concerns, stress, worries and additional costs and telling them you have been advised to contact some of the above will probably gain you a bunch of flowers or a few pounds. Accept.

yangptangkipperbang

rpc wrote: »

Extracts are so easy to obtain, having the original is nothing major. Are you sure they didn't want "an original" i.e. something issued by the registry not a copy that you made?

Yep...........all they meant was not copy run off at home.............

atush

They breached data orotection act- they can py your for a new birth cert, and pay the other individual compensation for breaching their duties under the act.

They will get mroe than you do.

Goldenyears

rpc wrote: »

Birth certificates are generally considered weaker ID because anyone can get an extract of anyone's birth.

Except rules have changed for those under 50 years. The identity thief must know some extra family details. If they have those then yes anyone can get a certified copy.

bigfreddiel

In future just get your bank to certify a copy - my bank did it for free

fj

dicky_dunock

I once got sent someone else's tax details,my name address on the envelope.

Oh yes and i once got someone else's hospital appointment,again my name and address on the envelope

PensionTech

In future just get your bank to certify a copy - my bank did it for free

Working for a TPA I can assure you that not all companies will accept this (and indeed they shouldn't). It is legal to make a copy of your birth certificate/passport for records, but you can't use that copy for ID purposes - that's a breach of Crown Copyright. And you are the person who has committed a breach if you do this.

Birth certificates are pretty much nearly in the public domain. It's troubling that you have been sent somebody else's but mistakes do happen. Send a letter to the company as advised, complain to the ICO (or threaten to do so) if you like. You're not likely to get very much return out of it but you'll get some niceties and with any luck the company will tighten up its procedures a bit.

Cases like this are not an excuse to refuse to send originals, which will likely cause you much more aggro than it's really worth if a company insists on it. Think about it - what happens if you send a certified copy and that ends up in the wrong hands? - someone could still use the information of that to apply to the GRO and get the same "original" extract that you're worried about losing.