Received someone else's mortgage application!

pinkshoes

Applied for a Post Office mortgage.

Today the document arrived where they fill in some of it with all the details I have already given them, and I then fill the rest in and send it back with the relevant ID.

Except it wasn't our form we received, but someone else's, with their name, date of birth, national insurance number, salary, address, amount they are re-mortgaging for etc...

I phoned the person mentioned on the form to tell them what had happened, and he didn't sound best pleased! I assured him I would shred his document, and asked if he received our mortgage document, to do the same.

The top document stating how much we would pay back and mortgage rate was correct, so it would appear to be a clerical error of someone not checking what they were putting in the envelope, but when I informed the post office of their mistake, they didn't seem that bothered, as if it was something that happens all the time!

I'm always careful about shredding documents with information on, so am I right to feel annoyed that they have probably sent my personal details to someone else?

tomtontom

Yes, you're right to feel annoyed, but what more do you want the Post Office to do? This appears to be a mistake made by a human being - we've all made them.

starrystarry

The Post Office should record it as a DPA breach. And I'd be asking them to investigate it properly to try to establish whether your documents were sent to someone else. It is just a human error but they should be reviewing procedures to see if they need to put some checks/safeguards in place to stop this happening again.

photome

Similar happened to me a few years ago.
I wasnt happy, I told them of their mistake and moved on

pinkshoes

I accept that humans make mistakes, but it would have been nice to actually have an apology, rather than the 'oh, ohps, i wonder how that happened' sort of response!

Hedgehog99

I hate the thought of my private info ending up in someone else's hands. Like the OP, I always treat my own, and that of other people I receive accidentally, very carefully.

I once booked travel insurance through a link from Sleazyjet & received someone with my surname's confirmation of their car rental from Niece, complete with his credit card number. Phoned premium rate number to try to get it sorted, but was going round in circles, so gave up.

Later, I got his apology letter too, apologising for messing up his car hire, so the poor guy didn't even get that.

NewShadow

If you're not happy that the PO is looking into it, you can report it to the information commissioner (the PO should do this anyway).

If they get multiple reports they'll investigate.

Its not just the inconvenience - with that info you could have easily stolen the other persons identify or gotten up to other serious mischief.

http://ico.org.uk/~/media/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/breach_reporting.pdf

The potential detriment to individuals is the overriding consideration in deciding whether a breach of data security should be reported to the ICO. Detriment includes emotional distress as well as both physical and financial damage.
Ways in which detriment can occur include:
 exposure to identity theft through the release of non- public identifiers, eg passport number;
 information about the private aspects of a person’s life becoming known to others, eg financial circumstances.

any_name_will_suffice

About 8 months after my nationwide mortgage was all sorted I received a letter telling me they had enclosed all my documents I had sent them. I thought it was a little strange as I had already received these. They had sent me the documents they had received from another applicant. As well as an application forms I had driving licences, financial documents etc.

I rang the other applicant as her telephone number was included and told her, and then popped them all in the post to her. She was understandably horrified.

I hope she made a complaint.