Conned by a Friend

Nicmun87

My ex-best friend of 23 years approached me last year and asked me to be guarantor for 3 loans for her. I agreed but did not provide her with any personal details, thinking we would sit down and complete everything together. It turns out that my friend competed the application on her own with these companies advising that she would let me know if she needed any information from me.



(To give you some back ground on myself and my friend. We had lived together for 5 years in a few different properties and shared bills which involved transferring funds to and from one another.)

My friend never mentioned the loans to me again and the first l knew of the completion of the loan applications was when I received funds into my account from the companies in May/June 2016. I questioned my friend regarding this and she advised me that the loan companies are required to transfer the loan money into the guarantors bank account to ensure that the guarantors details were correct. When I asked my friend how the companies got my details she advised me that she still had my details from when we transferred money to and from one another and she obviously knew my name , date of birth and address. She assured me I was the guarantor only and this was the only information they required.

I found out in August this year that this was not he case, according to the companies all loan applications were done in my name and not hers. I have since launched fraud investigations with the companies and submitted all evidence that they have asked for.

I was instructed to go to the police to press charges but according to Police Scotland they aren't able to do this as the fraud she has committed is against the companies and not me and also that Identity fraud charges are not able under Scottish legislation.

I am looking for any advice or help you can provide as this is affecting my mental health to the point that I am on antidepressants and sleeping tablets.

[Deleted User]

The police are correct. The fraud is against the lenders.

You just need to ensure that these loans no longer appear on your credit files and that all money has been returned.

Nicmun87

The companies had instructed me to contact the police to get a warrant for her arrest as they are saying that I don't have a fraud claim against them and therefore they won't take this off my credit file.


I have an initial meeting with a lawyer on Thursday night and I am waiting on Citizens advice contacting me to speak to them but I honestly don't know what I can do now.


Any advice?

AndyPix

Feels like there is some info missing here ...


So the money arrived in May/June last year ..
And you found out about all this in August THIS year ..


Did you not notice the monthly payments coming from your bank ??
How did you eventually find out about this situation ?


Did you not have any letters about this through the door if the loan was taken out using your details ?


:huh:

[Deleted User]

Report it to Action Fraud and get a case number. Provide that to the companies.

Nicmun87

She told me that the money was sent to me as guarantor and that I had to transfer it to her. There were 2 companies that tried to take monies from me and I had the bank reject them. My friend insisted that they mixed up the details and she would fix it.


I did receive letters but when I saw the company titles I just gave them to my friend. Yes I know, very stupidly didn't read them. She had been part of my life for 23 years, I was naive and I trusted every word she said.


I found out when I went to see about getting a first time mortgage and the lender told me my credit rating was at 12. I went on Experian and saw these companies on my credit file. I contacted these companies and that's when I found all this out.


I reported this all to the companies and I sent proof of messages from her at the time stating that she would fix this and never intended to con me.


I am no longer in contact with this person

Nicmun87

I have already done that but Action Fraud only report this they can't actually charge her or make the companies fix this.

[Deleted User]

Forget about charging her. That's not your job.

Raise a formal complaint with the companies, telling them that the debts are not yours. It's more difficult now that you have left it so long, but you need to persevere.

missile

Wow, what a "friend" she turned out to be.

Nicmun87

Yip, she's a nasty excuse for a human.

Nicmun87

Thank you, I am currently doing that and the police advised taking her to civil court to try and get something back from her.