Bank account fraudulently opened by estranged Father

Pink_Sparkles

Hello
I am a newbie to this so just looking for some advice. Here goes:
I just signed up to clear score to check my credit score and noticed in closed accounts, supposedly an account was opened by myself in 2011 with Nationwide in my name but with my father’s current address linked to the account. I left the address in 2006 and was 23 yrs. old at the time. We have been estranged for 10 years now (a mutual choice). The account was closed 9 months after, however I was obviously outraged, and upset. I know that he is still in possession of my birth certificate which he refused to return to my mother at the time of our leaving. He has a history of financially abusing others and the system; I did not find anything else untoward on my credit history.

I will be contacting Nationwide on Monday for them to investigate how this was allowed to happen.

My question is:
Was Nationwide negligent in their security checks in allowing him to open an account in my name when; i did not authorize the opening of the account, had not been living at the address for 4 years and was 23 years old at the time.

I will be reporting this to fraud action, as it is clearly fraud. Are there any other agencies that I can contact to prevent this possibly happening in the future?

Thanks

gunsandbanjos

Did he open the account online?

jonesMUFCforever

He would not have been able to use the birth certificate as ID.

When you left the address did you sign on the electoral roll at your new address?

As previous poster has said online application would be the easiest way to open an account like this.

Marktheshark

Yes they are negligent and THEY are the victims of the fraud.
Do not let them forget and remind them at every opportunity.

eskbanker

Pink_Sparkles wrote: »

I will be reporting this to fraud action, as it is clearly fraud.

Is it? It's obviously misrepresentation but to close the account after nine months it presumably wouldn't have been overdrawn, so any financial gain by doing this isn't clear to me. It's definitely not right but has anyone actually lost out as a result of this?

jonesMUFCforever

I want the OP to come back and confirm he updated his electoral roll information before accusing anybody of anything.

Pink_Sparkles

Yes I was registered on the electoral roll at my new address since November 2007. And i m not sure how the account was opened I am hoping Nationwide will give me more information on Monday.

Pink_Sparkles

eskbanker wrote: »

Is it? It's obviously misrepresentation but to close the account after nine months it presumably wouldn't have been overdrawn, so any financial gain by doing this isn't clear to me. It's definitely not right but has anyone actually lost out as a result of this?

Well we suspect that there was financial gain, because at the time he was received an £8000 solicitor’s bill however wanted to receive the services through legal aid and had to prove that he did not have the funds to pay it (which he did and does). We suspect my account was used to hide money, he also opened an account in my sisters name at the same time. But obviously were not 100% sure, and yes the account was in good standing.

gunsandbanjos

Pink_Sparkles wrote: »

Well we suspect that there was financial gain, because at the time he was received an £8000 solicitor’s bill however wanted to receive the services through legal aid and had to prove that he did not have the funds to pay it (which he did and does). We suspect my account was used to hide money, he also opened an account in my sisters name at the same time. But obviously were not 100% sure, and yes the account was in good standing.

Whilst unpleasant you've not actually suffered any loss yourself.

It's very easy to open an account online if you have sufficient information, which no doubt your father would have.

Banks are damned if they do and damned if they don't unfortunately, if they asked every online customer to come in to branch to verify identity people would hate it as they like the ease of transacting online. If they don't ask everyone to come in you do get situations like yours occasionally.

Most banks will do an electronic ID verification if you apply online, as you had lived at the address fairly recently then it's feasible that you passed this.

An unfortunate set of circumstances I agree but the fault lies squarely with your father and the victim is the bank.

You haven't incurred any loss.

pmduk

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

You haven't incurred any loss.

Perhaps not a financial loss, but if, and admittedly it's not at all certain, the account was used to hide funds in order to gain legal aid, then the OP's name has been used to obtain pecuniary advantage. Luckily it hasn't happened here, but such things often come back to haunt in the form of CIFAS markers. I'd not only be angry with the bank, but anxious to disassociate myself in every way from the account.

gunsandbanjos

Angry at the bank for what?