Fraud: account opened in my name

Toucan_toucan

Hi all,

First post and I'm after some advice please.

I live in a block of flats with post boxes that have the slot for the mail out on the street, and access to the post by is is via a locked door on the inside of the building. Recently someone was spotted trying to get mail out of the boxes from the outside with a stick, and now a number of us have received letters from HSBC with details of new accounts that we've apparently set up...

I've never applied for an account with HSBC, or had an account with them in the past, so it is definitely dodgy. Someone else in the building has called the police and got a reference number for the case, so I will call them tomorrow and add my info. Obviously I'm going to call HSBC too, but is there anything else I should do?

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Shakin_Steve

It all depends on what details were gained from your missing mail. If it was just name and address, I wouldn’t worry too much. To be on the safe side, check all three of the credit reference agencies. HSBC may have been their first effort, but they may try other banks or retailers. Look for new searches conducted for credit applications.
Experian, Equifax and Call Credit are the three cra’s, you can easily find their details online.



You need to get that postbox sorted out, as the person who took the mail was obviously intending to intercept any cards/chequebooks that arrived.

Shakin_Steve

You can check your Experian account on MSE for free:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/creditclub?utm_expid=._bZIeKhmRDa46QyEs6jZjw.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.moneysavingexpert.com%2Fadvanced-search.php%3Fq%3DFree%2520credit%2520report%26searchtype%3Dguides

Toucan_toucan

Thanks. I've checked on clear score which uses Equifax I think, and there's a hard search by HSBC. They have the wrong title (I am married but never use Mrs), and have formatted the address incorrectly (I.e. In a way I would never write it), but they do have my correct date of birth.

I picked up the welcome pack, though there's no card, and the letter asking for a sample signature.

They have done the same for my husband and at least 4 other people in the block, so we are collectively lobbying the management company to do something about the post boxes.

colsten

To prevent further rogue account applications, you can purchase a CIFAS registration

https://www.cifas.org.uk/services/identity-protection/protective-registration

Kim_13

Yes, Clearscore uses Equifax.

It's important to check all three agencies, as not all lenders use the same ones. You'll want to be sure that there aren't any other fraudulent applications that the fraudster could have already collected from the mail.

The MSE tool is Experian and Noddle is CallCredit. This section has more detail: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/check-free-credit-report#free

MABLE

If security is an issue perhaps the OP should think about a PO Box being set up at their local RM office.

Toucan_toucan

I have made a report to Action Fraud, and called HSBC. The latter was an extremely painful process, but they say the account has been blocked. I might go in to a branch and double-check though!


I think the slow Christmas post actually helped, the account application was made on the 18th, the guy was witnessed attempting to steal post on the 22nd, but the letters to me didn't get delivered until the 23rd (and then sat there unmolested until yesterday).


I assume the idea is that they immediately run up the £3k overdraft leaving HSBC to chase me for the money?

Kim_13

Toucan_toucan wrote: »

I have made a report to Action Fraud, and called HSBC. The latter was an extremely painful process, but they say the account has been blocked. I might go in to a branch and double-check though!


I think the slow Christmas post actually helped, the account application was made on the 18th, the guy was witnessed attempting to steal post on the 22nd, but the letters to me didn't get delivered until the 23rd (and then sat there unmolested until yesterday).


I assume the idea is that they immediately run up the £3k overdraft leaving HSBC to chase me for the money?

That or they might have been intending to launder money.

Toucan_toucan

A further update - I had a missed call from HSBC this morning so tried to call back. After being passed from department to department for almost 45 minutes (including an incredibly long time on hold), I was eventually put through to a department manned by an incredibly disinterested man who just told me to go in to a branch! If I'd been told this at 9am yesterday I'd have done it then. It does make me wonder why I spent almost an hour on the phone to them yesterday reporting it.


Not at all impressed with HSBC's customer service, so won't be rushing to open a real account with them anytime soon.


Edited to add: got home today to find a debit card for a TSB account that I didn't open either! What a contrast dealing with them on the phone - friendly and efficient. Am going to get myself on the CIFAS register, I am concerned they've made two successful applications in such close succession.

Toucan_toucan

I thought I'd come back to this with an update.


Yesterday I received a statement for the HSBC account, showing that a) the account was still open, and b) as suspected the scammers had made 4 withdrawals of £500/day, and then done a bit of shopping and caught a bus (they've run up nearly £2500 of the £3000 overdraft, and obviously there's some interest too). These last two transactions were AFTER I reported the fraud, so clearly HSBC didn't act.


I called them last night and spoke to a very apologetic chap who advised me to call again today to speak to the fraud team, and that he'd put a note on the account to that effect. I rang back this morning and was on the phone for another 45 minutes, the agent wouldn't put me through to the fraud team and could find no record of the form I spent half an hour filling in with an agent over the phone back in December. We had to go through the whole thing again. Also to note their Twitter team asked if I'd spoken to the fraud team when I raised it there...


I am pretty appalled at how badly HSBC has handled this. I am sure the fraud team is busy, but they could have at least arranged to call me back if they couldn't speak to me when I rang today. I have made a complaint which hopefully will at least give me some assurance that they're sorting out my credit file.