Advice about finding bank accounts needed please :-)

alexcwl

Hi...
My son suspects that his dad (my ex-husband) has opened a bank account/s in his name, in order to hide money so that he can continue to claim benefits. My son has found one account by accident, but thinks there are more. He has just turned 18.

My question is this...is there any way to find out if this has been done? He doesn't think his Dad has run up any debt, just that he is hiding money.

Thank you in advance :-)

DCFC79

What would you intend to do with what you find, if you find anything ?

Might be just a case of writing to each bank, it might be hard as you don't know the correspondence address he used if he has done what you suspect.

alexcwl

Thank you for your reply!

We wouldn't want anything to do with the money, as goodness only knows where it came from. We just want to be able to close any accounts that habe been opened without my son's knowledge. His father can have the money.. it's not about that.
We have his address and his past two addresses, so we presume he's used one of these, as well as the copy of my son's birth certificate that he applied for five years ago, because I wouldn't give him one.

I suspect you may be right, I just hoped there might be an easier way.

xylophone

Do you mean that five years ago your husband opened a child account as bare trustee for your son?

Is this the account your son has found because the bank has addressed correspondence to him?

cardi_b

Get in touch with Experian and Equifax for a credit report. He will be able to see which banks "he" has accounts with and who have run credit searches on him, both soft searches and hard searches.

PeacefulWaters

cardi_b wrote: »

Get in touch with Experian and Equifax for a credit report. He will be able to see which banks "he" has accounts with and who have run credit searches on him, both soft searches and hard searches.

Unlikely for a savings account.

Kim_13

It's worth checking all of your son's credit reports (there are three) but ensure that he checks them the free way or gets some free cash for doing it. This MSE guide on credit reports will help: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/check-free-credit-report.

As PeacefulWaters says, a savings account isn't going to be on there, but you may be lucky and find that his dad was opening current accounts instead, for instance if he thought that there'd be less chance of him being caught if he chose accounts that don't pay any interest.

It may also be worth checking NS&I. Dad may have held Premium Bonds in your son's name for instance. As your son is now over 16, any bonds can now only be controlled by him, but Dad may be oblivious/thinking he can get around it.

Westie983

There may not be a credit report as he has only just turned 18 and sounds like the accounts were opened years ago so they wont show up.

Westie983

Kim_13

I opened an account when I was under 18 which started reporting when I was 18.

It may well be that not every current account his father has ever opened is listed, but as he is now 18 using Noddle, Clearscore and MSE Credit Club each month to cover all the agencies are a good way to ensure that any future accounts he might attempt to open are swiftly dealt with.