social fraud

yieger

Hi recently i have been contacted by the social fund debt collection department for 12 loans that i supposedly had in 2011. Now the problem is i didnt take these loans yet the onus is on me to pay them back or prove i didnt take them, so i requested copies of the application forms for which they only have 2. My question basically is how can i prove i didnt take them i am currently waiting for my company to provide details of which days i worked in 2011 yet dwp said if i can prove i worked on one of the days they will look into that ONE only
P.s the loans where all taken in essex yet i live in portsmouth and did at the time in question

BigAunty

I wonder if you can report this to the Police and get them involved to analyse the finger prints on the form, the address used to make the false claims, the owner of the bank accounts that the money was paid into and so forth? Perhaps you can contact your local MP for their support? They are there to serve you.

I'm not really sure of the fraud defence process but hopefully other posters can give you pointers.

poppasmurf_bewdley

If you live in Portsmouth and the loans were taken out in Essex, then in all probability they have got two people with the same name and mixed them up.

If you don't get any satisfaction from them, contact your local MP when he or she holds a surgery.

yieger

Thanks for the replies i have already reported it to the police and they just logged it with the natonal fraud database sorry i didnt mention this earlier the claims where made at my parents address and the same issue has happened to my dad although he has had 12 loans in his name but was not in the country for the whole of 2011. Strange though the dwp believe that an entrance and exit visa is not prove of leaving the country. We believe that someone gained access to his home and found some documents. What i have asked for is what identification was used to get said loans and according to dwp they dont have that on file. I just cant believe that they can use an attachment of earnings order with the only prive ut was me is 22 signertures that vary wildly

yieger

Mp route seems a good shout will look into it

missapril75

It's certainly possible that someone stole enough identifying details to make an application.

But 12 applications for the OP while not at the address used and a further 12 loans for dad even though he was out of the country.

Potentially this is 24 offer letters going to the address that have been intercepted 24 times by the imposter(s) who somehow gains access to the address so as to get hold of them. And also knows enough about the addressee/applicant to complete the income details of the applications.

And then manages to access bank accounts also in the name of someone else to actually get hold of the cash.

And that's ignoring the difficulty in obtaining budgeting loans when there's a debt outstanding. And if there really are 12 outstanding per person, they'd have to be really small payments for the debt not to result in refusals from something like the 4th or 5th one.

So, if there really are 12 debts x2, this would suggest maybe crisis loans, but then that would mean two individuals having a dozen crises each in 12 months.

It doesn't sound very likely, but it could explain how 24 offer letters were intercepted, what with crisis loans being done in person.

And all at the same address would suggest the address was a squat or hostel of some sort, otherwise 24 applications for crisis loans at the same address in a few months would raise questions, like it's doing with me.

yieger

They were all crisis loans the largest amount was 100 and the smallest was 10.50 i understand it looks really strange but it is what it is the only stuff i believe to be there in my name was maybe a payslip or two as i lived there for a few weeks after splitting with my ex partner all things like passports etc are with me. I believe mp is the good option just concerned that an attachment of earnings order will be put in place can the dwp do this ?

yieger

With the cash side the dwp admit that they could be done at post office etc. I have asked the question that there should be a paper trail from application to payment but they say they dont have to keep any records apart from the signed acceptance form there is no info on there at all

missapril75

yieger wrote: »

They were all crisis loans

Thought they might be. In my time as someone deciding crisis loans I'd be highly sceptical of so many repeat applications, but maybe when they were moved out to call centres and local knowledge disappeared the abuse became even more widespread and everyone got paid.

I believe mp is the good option just concerned that an attachment of earnings order will be put in place can the dwp do this ?

Applications and other paperwork were moved out to warehouses. I can't speak for now, but there was always a procedure for getting hold of it and although stuff was destroyed after a period, anything relating to debt was retained.

If you can show you weren't there and the evidence they can produce shows different looking signatures then there is major doubt.

They should be able to check who was reportedly at the address in that period (your ex?) and they might have records that indicate all is not what it should be with those people.

The more doubt there is the better for you and with an MP contacting them that could swing it.

From their point of view they do check ID but there's often been liberal interpretation of what is okay. Somebody may, for example, accept a pay slip while others won't. Did whoever it was get lucky 12 times?

As well as not living there, maybe you can prove presence elsewhere on specific dates. Attendance record at work? In hospital?

Marshmallow82

Was this property empty for the whole of 2011 or was anyone else living there? Also, did anyone else have a key to check on property?

I would probably get a copy of your credit report in case this person has applied for credit cards or loans in your name

yieger

Credit report is ok and just a family member to check on property