fraud?

OnlyMe_08

Hi

Not sure if applicable in this board, but here goes.

I had a letter in the post about 4-6 weeks ago, addressed to someone not resident at the address. It appears to be for a loan.

Sent back the letter to the return address and stated addressee not at this address.

Today, we received a letter addressed to the same person and appears to be from the council.

What are my next steps; what's the worst that can happen with someone using my address and what steps should I take? Report it to the council (or just send back) and/or report it to the police?

Any advice appreciated.

agarnett

Contact both the loan company and the council directly and explain how your address appears to being used as a convenient ID fraud address as part of account takeover fraud. Is your postbox "dippable"? That would make it particularly convenient for them to trigger any post they had triggered.

Of course check your own CRA files with all three of Equifax, Experian and Noddle if possible to look for any unexpected credit accounts in your name too.

Ps I am assuming the addressee is not simply a previous occupant at your address?

OnlyMe_08

I already sent back the loan communication, after speaking to the loan company (wasting time and call charges).

Just posting it back to the return address was what they suggested; they weren't able to divulge into any details.

What exactly do you mean by dippable? Fishing the post out of the postbox?

Also, other than the baliffs turning up at the door, what are the full implications of using an address (not by name)?

[Deleted User]

None. It won't impact your credit file.

fermi

It's not in your name, so can't impact your credit files. Addresses are not 'blacklisted' on their own.

Report it, Stay vigilant, and if anyone should turn up demanding money (v unlikely) tell them where to 'go'.

agarnett

OnlyMe_08 wrote: »

I already sent back the loan communication, after speaking to the loan company (wasting time and call charges).
Just posting it back to the return address was what they suggested; they weren't able to divulge into any details.

Well at least you have given them some information they can act on to protect the real owner of the ID used for the loan application (if that is what we have here), even if the loan company didn't give you any!

What exactly do you mean by dippable? Fishing the post out of the postbox?

Yes exactly that. I and all my neighbours have dippable postboxes which are attacked regularly and I have seen a dipper intercepted by police.

Also, other than the baliffs turning up at the door, what are the full implications of using an address (not by name)?

If your postbox is dippable then your address may have been deliberately used by account takeover fraudsters who have managed to issue change of address instructions on unfortunates' accounts with addresses elsewhere because they know that if they trigger new cards and PINs for example on credit card accounts, then they can intercept them easiest in a postbox like yours.

Was the loan already set up or was it just at application stage?

Was was the nature of the letter from the council ? Council tax owed on your address or what?

Have you only recently moved in yourself? Have you seen any other mail or junk mail addressed to the same individual at your address? With the prices Royal Mail charge for mail redirection, rather too few people ever bother when they move. In fact I think some see it as a welcome opportunity to stop junkmail in its tracks!

I think you need to be a little more specific before the "full implications" can be mapped out for you, but if you are sure it isn't a previous actual resident, and if you know that your postbox could be dipped without too much trouble, then one of the implications might be that you will have fraudsters dipping your mailbox for anything they have fraudulently triggered in other names or that they fancy in your name on a regular basis.

And because you will only receive what they don't intercept, then the full implications might only become apparent when you become a victim yourself.

But that's worst case scenario. There might be something more innocent in all this if it is a previous resident who simply hasn't redirected their mail.

The middle ground is of course that yes it is a previous resident, but that they have fled from debt, in which case your address might be "blighted" to some extent in some organisations' eyes. Properties in multiple occupation e.g. student accommodation can become questionable if they have housed a run of bad-payers in the past.

Remember that as well as consulting CRAs, banks use their own records to make decisions on credit (thank goodness sometimes!) At a CRA as has been said, in theory your record should not be tainted by this, but depending on your address, if you wanted to open an additional account at a new bank who had experienced bad payers or an unusual level of fraud linked to previous accounts at your address, then it might conceivably.

OnlyMe_08

agarnett wrote: »

Was the loan already set up or was it just at application stage?

Was was the nature of the letter from the council ? Council tax owed on your address or what?

Have you only recently moved in yourself? Have you seen any other mail or junk mail addressed to the same individual at your address? With the prices Royal Mail charge for mail redirection, rather too few people ever bother when they move. In fact I think some see it as a welcome opportunity to stop junkmail in its tracks!

I think you need to be a little more specific before the "full implications" can be mapped out for you, but if you are sure it isn't a previous actual resident, and if you know that your postbox could be dipped without too much trouble, then one of the implications might be that you will have fraudsters dipping your mailbox for anything they have fraudulently triggered in other names or that they fancy in your name on a regular basis.

And because you will only receive what they don't intercept, then the full implications might only become apparent when you become a victim yourself.

But that's worst case scenario. There might be something more innocent in all this if it is a previous resident who simply hasn't redirected their mail.

I'm not sure what stage the loan application was at, as I did not open the envelope before sending back. Hopefully it was a request for further ID!

The letter from the council is definitely council tax related (just by looking through the window). It's odd that the council do not check their records properly - electoral register for example, which will confirm current council tax bill is still being paid at my address.

It is also not a case of previous owners, as we've been at this address for years, and know who the previous occupiers were.

fermi

Perhaps the ID/person used for these applications also owes CT from somewhere else, and they have 'traced' to your address now there are links showing it may be an address for them? These trace systems are pretty dumb, as are councils.

May be worth getting on to the council with a "what the hell do you think you are doing?".

OnlyMe_08

I phoned up the council, so hopefully they'll be able to investigate further upon receipt of the returned bill.

I just hope the loan company did not offer the loan, as again, I'd imagine details from the electoral register will have been used to check ID etc.?

National_Debtline

If you’re concerned about your address being used in credit applications you can register your details with CIFAS. Extra checks would be carried out if your address is used.

The downside is it costs £20 for 2 years and I think it can take longer to carry out credit applications for yourself.

www.cifas.org.uk/pr_for_individuals

James
@natdebtline