Identity Fraud - Tesco Banking

Rummanamin

So Tesco handed out nearly £20,000 to a complete stranger who stole my identity and took out a loan, in February - and I only found out yesterday.

Worse still, their customer service representative's are a bunch of unhelpful clowns who forgot to turn the 'put you on hold' music and sit there laughing whilst I hear everything; then hang up when they realise I've just heard them.

Eventually, they pulled their fingers out and are now going to investigate this.

But how can you let someone just take out a loan without any photographic proof (Passport/Drivers licence) that they are who they say they are?

What an absolute joke!

Gaz83

Rummanamin wrote: »

So Tesco handed out nearly £20,000 to a complete stranger who stole my identity and took out a loan, in February - and I only found out yesterday.

Worse still, their customer service representative's are a bunch of unhelpful clowns who forgot to turn the 'put you on hold' music and sit there laughing whilst I hear everything; then hang up when they realise I've just heard them.

Eventually, they pulled their fingers out and are now going to investigate this.

But how can you let someone just take out a loan without any bloody proof that they are who they say they are?

What an absolute joke!

While I sympathise, surely the whole point of identity theft is that whoever has done this DOES have 'proof' of who they are (albeit incorrect proof)?

HappyMJ

Rummanamin wrote: »

So Tesco handed out nearly £20,000 to a complete stranger who stole my identity and took out a loan, in February - and I only found out yesterday.

Worse still, their customer service representative's are a bunch of unhelpful clowns who forgot to turn the 'put you on hold' music and sit there laughing whilst I hear everything; then hang up when they realise I've just heard them.

Eventually, they pulled their fingers out and are now going to investigate this.

But how can you let someone just take out a loan without any bloody proof that they are who they say they are?

What an absolute joke!

Report it to Action Fraud.

Rummanamin

Sorry I meant proof as in photographic proof i.e.. Passport, drivers licence

I asked the customer rep on the phone and she just had this really unconvincing tone in her voice, and replied with 'well if they applied online, they don't need those, just your signature'

Candyapple

First thing's first, have you obtained copies of all 3 of your credit reports to see;

a) if Tesco have been reporting it on your file and/or late payments, defaults
b) if the fraudster took out any other financial products in your name

You could also look into this:
https://www.cifas.org.uk/pr_for_individuals

And you will need to contact the police/Action Fraud to report the crime and then contact Tesco again to inform them of this. I doubt they'll be laughing when they realise they've just lost £20k.

Rummanamin

Well I checked all 3 credit report agencies on Wednesday (when I found out) and the loan only appeared on Experian's records which is very strange because they are the sole company i've been using for a few years and:

1. The loan only appeared on my record very recently despite being taken out in February - I last checked my credit report in August and it wasn't on there.
2. When I looked in the Previous Searches section, there was no mention of Tesco on there.

Gaz83

Rummanamin wrote: »

Sorry I meant proof as in photographic proof i.e.. Passport, drivers licence

I asked the customer rep on the phone and she just had this really unconvincing tone in her voice, and replied with 'well if they applied online, they don't need those, just your signature'

Ah right, I see what you mean. It's a fair enough point. I guess it's just 'one of those things' that have come around since people began wanting to apply for loans in shorter timescales.

Hope you get it sorted.

ReadingTim

Rummanamin wrote: »

Sorry I meant proof as in photographic proof i.e.. Passport, drivers licence

But why should getting a loan be dependent on your ability to drive a car or whether you've been on a foreign holiday? It's nonsense.

The point is that someone stole your identity and convinced a bank that they were you, by providing sufficient information to be believed. What more information/proof of identity should be reasonably provided? DNA maybe - fancy some of yours being kept on a national database? Thought not....

In fact, you say someone stole your identity. How do we know that you are who you say you are? Prove that you are you, and that the other person isn't you. Prove that you haven't stolen someone else's identity....

HappyMJ

Rummanamin wrote: »

Sorry I meant proof as in photographic proof i.e.. Passport, drivers licence

I asked the customer rep on the phone and she just had this really unconvincing tone in her voice, and replied with 'well if they applied online, they don't need those, just your signature'

If they applied online they probably didn't even need a signature.

Sainsbury's gave me £15,000 within hours with no documentation required. I could have been anyone.

DCFC79

Has your post been intercepted ?
Noticed any post that's been opened and then resealed ?

Is your PC secure eg have anti virus.