Catalogue Fraud (from the other side)

System

If the scumbag family member provides all the documentation that the company asks for how is the company supposed to know it isn't a genuine application?

You're being angry at the wrong people.

Tacosss1985

No not an offence on their part, as others have said this is your relatives fault not the retailer.
I've opened many accounts (store cards) we require ID address income details employment and length of time. If anything sounds odd or any discrepancies it gets referred to the credit team (new day) who carry out further checks with the customer.
There are people who Work there who will make up an applicants income if the applicant doesnt want to disclose it or it sounds low so it will 'hopefully' go through, which I believe is wrong but they wouldn't fake an ID or anything like that

Westminster

Contact the police and action fraud.

You can then give your crime / reference numbers to the catalog to have all record of the account removed from your credit files.

You will probably end up with a protective CIFAS marker on your account (at no cost to you) which inhibits any automatic credit approval and ensures any credit applications will be manually checked by a person (so no instant approvals any more)

forgotmyname

If you do not report it to the police they will probably consider the debt to be yours.

We had a family member with the same problem. The answer is simple you report it to the police and make sure each company/debt collector know its not your debt and they have been defrauded.

Then just check they remove all details from your credit file and your all clear.

PixelPound

The company is the defrauded party, they have sent goods and not been paid. They put in checks that they deem sufficient, which doesn't mean someone determined couldn't get round those but enough to keep fraud potential to acceptable levels - they are the ones to lose financially from fraud.

You need to report it to the police and then give the crime ref to the organisation that owns the debt or the DCA. They will investigate and your report will recover