Loan Fraud - Please Help

smartest_smarty

Hello all,

Please help if you can. My girlfriend received a letter through the door saying she owed Wonga over a £1000, threatening her with bailiffs, and that the debt was getting bigger - but she didn't take out this loan. She then discovered that a 'so called friend' had taken out the loan in her name. The 'so called friend' wouldn't pay the loan back - and my GF was scared not knowing what to do, so she paid it off to avoid it affecting her credit score etc.

The 'so called friend' already owed her £1000 which she lent to her personally. this friend asked for her bank details to repay the money she owed. But my GF didn't receive anything. I think she may have used the bank details to withdraw the money.

What can be done about this? She no longer speaks to that 'so called friend'. But it isn't fair that she's had to pay this money for a loan she didn't take out herself. This is fraud. But it's hard to figure out what to do when it's done by someone who we know.

If I had known at the time I would of told her not to pay it - but it's already done now. Is there a way to get the money back from Wonga?

There is also another recent credit search from Wonga in her name, so we think the same person is trying to take out a loan again in her name.

What can we do?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

TonyMMM

To get any chance of seeing the money again she will have to report to the police (and Wonga) as fraud. The fact she chose to pay the debt may make them a little harder to convince - does she have written/text/email proof that her friend took out the loan ?

If not willing to report then all she can do is learn a lesson and move on.

She could try a small claims court case against her friend (not Wonga), but I don't think the judge would be impressed if she hasn't chosen to report the crime (and her friend may not have any money to pay her back anyway)

smartest_smarty

I doubt she would want to report it to the police to avoid causing problems.

What if the money has been paid into an account which was not in her name? Surely Wonga should have that information right?

And what can be done to stop someone doing the same thing again? There are recent credit searches in my girlfriends name from Wonga. Someone's putting in her details.

Horseunderwater

Suggest that she changes her bank account, so that this person no longer has them.

Thrugelmir

Merely having another persons bank details does not make fraud possible. Without making accusations are you sure your GF is being honest?

Apples2

smartest_smarty wrote: »

I doubt she would want to report it to the police to avoid causing problems.

If that is the case, tell her to forget all about it and move on.

smartest_smarty wrote: »

And what can be done to stop someone doing the same thing again? There are recent credit searches in my girlfriends name from Wonga. Someone's putting in her details.

It's like leaving your car keys in the ignition every night then asking how you can prevent the car getting stolen.

smartest_smarty

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Suggest that she changes her bank account, so that this person no longer has them.

That's the thing, the money was never ever paid into my GF's account. The loan was taken in her name, and her bank details were used for the direct debit. But she didn't receive this loan and had no idea about it until she started receiving letters.

smartest_smarty

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Merely having another persons bank details does not make fraud possible. Without making accusations are you sure your GF is being honest?

She's being 100% honest, she has no need to lie.

It wasn't just bank details that were used. Her name and address were used too.

Apples2

smartest_smarty wrote: »

That's the thing, the money was never ever paid into my GF's account. The loan was taken in her name, and her bank details were used for the direct debit. But she didn't receive this loan and had no idea about it until she started receiving letters.

But if she changes her account details they can't take money out of it.
Who gives a hoot where the loan was deposited? It is of no consequence.

smartest_smarty

Apples2 wrote: »

If that is the case, tell her to forget all about it and move on.

It's like leaving your car keys in the ignition every night then asking how you can prevent the car getting stolen.

She was moving on, but there has been another recent credit search from the same company. So wouldn't like it to happen again.

smartest_smarty

Apples2 wrote: »

But if she changes her account details they can't take money out of it.
Who gives a hoot where the loan was deposited? It is of no consequence.

That makes sense in terms of repayments, but when your home address is used as well and you receive threatening letters from bailiffs, it's not so easy to just move address. Also your credit score and history gets damaged - because of someone else's actions.