Fraudulent payday loan taken out in my name

Esullivan121

Hello, i'm looking for some advice since i've never had this happen to me before.

Today i received a letter (from payday uk) with my name and address that claims I took out a payday loan from them 3 and a half years ago, and that i now owe them money.

This is the first time i have ever heard about this company or ever had any correspondence regarding this matter.

Something definitely doesn't add up. It doesn't seem like they have my actual bank account details else they'd already have attempted to take money from it. And if they have my address, why is this the first letter i've received in the 3 and a half years since the fraudulent loan repayment was due?

What's the first step to take here?

[Deleted User]

Probably trying to track someone down with the same name. Undoubtedly a few hundred other E Sullivans have received the same letter.

But in the first instance, check your credit files to see if anything has been added to them.

glennstar

Just to add to the good advice provided by zx81, PDUK is a brand of Instant Cash Loans which is owned by the Dollar Financial Group, who are in the process of consolidating their products (recently closed Ladder Loans, for example), which may be why they are dredging up old records and trying to recover gone-aways.

National_Debtline

Checking your credit file is a good start. If there is anything on there that you don't recognise I would suggest you report the issue to Action Fraud (the UK National fraud reporting centre - www.actionfraud.police.uk) and ask Payday UK to launch a fraud investigation. If they still claim you are liable you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.


However, if there is nothing on your credit file, this may not be necessary, and as other posters have suggested, it could be a 'blanket' letter. Instead you could write back with the proveit letter to try and get more details. If they cannot prove it is your loan but keep writing to you, that could be considered harassment under the FCA guidelines.


Laura
@natdebtline

Dobbibill

All good advice above.

Given that PDLs have multiple brands within a company I would also check your bank statements back to the time they refer to.

As you say a lot of coincidences.

Marktheshark

Here is some very good advice.

If someone has defrauded a lender then that lender is the victim not you.
You can only contract.
No contract = no debt.

If they have allowed someone to fool them, then that is their mistake and not yours,
Do not allow them to attach this to you and do not create any joinder with them by accepting, representing, adopting or contracting with them.

Await a letter that states they are holding you responsible and reply with the standard template response from here about denying a dent.

They will gladly let you adopt this debt that is nothing to do with you.
Many have made similar mistakes.

Check Credit files and come back.
Do not reply to the fishing letter.

Aquamania

Esullivan121 wrote: »

Hello, i'm looking for some advice since i've never had this happen to me before.

Today i received a letter (from payday uk) with my name and address that claims I took out a payday loan from them 3 and a half years ago, and that i now owe them money.

This is the first time i have ever heard about this company or ever had any correspondence regarding this matter.

Something definitely doesn't add up. It doesn't seem like they have my actual bank account details else they'd already have attempted to take money from it. And if they have my address, why is this the first letter i've received in the 3 and a half years since the fraudulent loan repayment was due?

What's the first step to take here?

Fisrt step?
Contact the company that says you owe them, explain the situation, and take it from there

sourcrates

It is actually, quite difficult to take out a payday loan, using someone else`s details.

The name, address, all have to match, they would need your debt card details, and your bank details, plus the money can only be deposited into that account as well, so they also need access to that account, again, possession of your debt card, and PIN number.

Sounds as though someone using your name or similar, has taken money by deception, as a result of the PDLC not observing due diligence, now there crying over spilt milk.

Its useless talking to them, as they will only know what the computer tells them, that you took the loan, if its on your file, go to actionfraud.