Received strange letter from Akinika debt recovery

INJAC16

Hi All,


I hope I have posted this in the correct forum, please let me know if it needs moving.


Yesterday we received a letter addressed to my wife from Akinika Debt Recovery.


I can post a copy of the letter if required but the main text is as follows:


Dear SURNAME
We are attempting to contact our customer and have been provided with you address as a new address for our customer.


If you are the person named above please contact our office on telephone xxxxx quoting ref number xxxx.


If however you are not the person named above, please accept our apologies for this contact. We would still welcome contact from you so that we may quickly update our records appropriately.


(Of course I have removed the real numbers and surname above for the purposes of this post).


This is addressed in my wife's maiden name (we have been married now 18 months), it does not give any information as to who the original creditor might be and we have not received any letters before this from either Akinika or anyone else. Is this just a phishing letter? Of course we could phone them up to confirm this is all incorrect but in doing so are likely to just give them more valuable information. Reading online this firm seem to work on behalf of the TV license, ebay and council tax etc but my wife doesn't have any outstanding issue with these.


Any tips to what I should do or has anyone else received similar letters?


With thanks


Andy

MrsTinks

Check all of her credit files to make sure there are no debts registered or associated with her on there. Just because she isn't aware of any debts doesn't mean one hasn't been registered. It could have been an account that wasn't closed properly by the creditor, but it could also be a genuine debt that your wife might just not have been aware of.

Start with the 3 credit files first. Anything there showing as defaulted?

INJAC16

Hi,


I'll get on to this tonight. Just to be clear - is this the Equifax, Experian and CallCredit checks? Would the normal £2 checks be sufficient?


Cheers


Andy

The_Debt_Expert

You can get free credit checks with Noddle and Experian at least now.

sourcrates

Sounds like a fishing expedition to me.

Checking her credit file is a good first step, if nothing is showing, I would not pursue it any further, unless they write to you again with specific details.

If there is something on her file, a provit letter would be the way to go.

Could be an old debt she's forgotten about ?

Then take it from there.

milobrulee

Akinika is also student loans company, if that helps.

S_O

Hi Andy,
Did you find out what this letter was about? I received exactly the same letter today with my name slightly misspelled and even though I know I don't have any debts it's gotten me a bit worried..

sourcrates

S_O wrote: »

Hi Andy,
Did you find out what this letter was about? I received exactly the same letter today with my name slightly misspelled and even though I know I don't have any debts it's gotten me a bit worried..

Hi,

Unfortunately the OP has not been back to update us.

But if you receive any letters from a debt collection agency, about any debt, if you recognise it or not, you should always respond with the "provit" letter.

This puts the onus on them to prove :

(A) that you owe the debt

And

(B) that they hold the legal right, and paperwork, to enforce the debt.

Provit letter here : https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247