Father runs up debt in my name

qwerty2849949

Hey guys very new round here and basically I'm here to educate myself a bit further and how best to deal with my situation. If this post is in the wrong area please mods can you put it where it's suppose to be.

So lets start with the story,

I live with my parents, I'm 27 now. Back in 2012 my father ordered a bunch of stuff from a catalogue store (Company Name is Studio). As mentioned he ordered a bunch of stuff which totaled to around £300. He did this in my name, He must of used his own card as I would of known sooner if he'd used mine. He didn't pay, I've only just found out about this debt and as you'd imagine the total has gone up to nearly £1400.

The debt I think got passed to a company called "Cabot Financial", They say I am liable for this. They said they issued a CCJ or something. I'm not sure what this exactly means to be honest.

I actually don't know what to do. My father doesn't have the means to pay this and I don't feel like I should either. I've done a brief search on my situation and I've seen that if I don't want to pay this I will have to report, Meaning I would have to press charges vs my father. (Not 100% on this).

Again I'm not sure what I need to do or what I should do.

If anyone could give me some advice that would be greatly appreciated. Any questions please feel to ask I will try to answer it the best I can.

boo_star

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-a-fraud/how-to-report-a-fraud

Bear in mind that doing this may well end up with your father being arrested, charged and possibly convicted for the offence.

elsien

A CCJ is a county court judgement that you owe that money and baillifs can be sent to collect money or goods to pay the debt plus any fees that have accumulated through the debt collection process if you don't come to a payment arrangement.
This will have a big impact on you in future because anytime you want credit - mobile contract/credit card / mortgage the CCJ will show up on your records for the next few years.

Has a CCJ been issued, or are the letters still just threatening this?
The only way round it (other than accepting liability and paying it yourself) is to report your dad for fraud.

Dobbibill

Check your credit reports with the 3 main CRAs. What is being reported will show up on there and show the date of the CCJ (if already issued).



You can get the free version below
For Experian use MoneySavingExpert Credit Club
For Equifax use Clearscore
For Call Credit use Noddle.



Check all 3 and see what they have reported on each account. (don't take any notice of the score).

qwerty2849949

Thanks guy for the swift responses, I'll do the checks now.

Just so frustrating with this whole situation and how easy this is to do. I say this because

1. The 1st thing I hear about the debt and I have to pay nearly 400% than what the original bill was, I may have just wrote it off if I known sooner, but obviously my father took these letters they must have been sending.

2. Thinking about this, It must be so easy to do. Personally I would of thought that the sites must have a security measure in place, Like the Name of the person trying to buy something must match the bank account name too? As I am certain he didn't use any bank account in my name.

boo_star

si777 wrote: »

2. Thinking about this, It must be so easy to do. Personally I would of thought that the sites must have a security measure in place, Like the Name of the person trying to buy something must match the bank account name too? As I am certain he didn't use any bank account in my name.

There is always going to be a balance between security and convenience. Make things too difficult and people won't use you.

It's the shop that are opening themselves to fraud here though, so ultimately it's up to them how strong, or weak, their security measures are.

qwerty2849949

I agree boo_star ... I would of thought in this day in age that there would be some minimal requirements that sites have to abide by, I'm sure there is but given what happened to me the standard is set way to low.

So I done the credit checks and got this, I only could do noodle and clearscore. The other site wouldn't work for me as in it just failed to load the page.

The top one is noodle and the bottom one is clearscore.

http /i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq273/si777/CCJ_zpsq4ypleiu.png

(I cannot post links directly as I'm a new user. so you will probably have to copy and paste to view it. So highlight all and delete the space after the http)

System

So there's also another one as well for £185.

bigisi

si777 wrote: »

I agree boo_star ... I would of[sic] thought in this day in age that there would be some minimal requirements that sites have to abide by, I'm sure there is but given what happened to me the standard is set way to low.

So I done the credit checks and got this, I only could do noodle[sic] and clearscore. The other site wouldn't work for me as in it just failed to load the page.

The top one is noodle[sic] and the bottom one is clearscore.

http /i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq273/si777/CCJ_zpsq4ypleiu.png

(I cannot post links directly as I'm a new user. so you will probably have to copy and paste to view it. So highlight all and delete the space after the http)

So what has your dad said about any of this and how he intends to sort it out. If he doesn't and is just going to leave you in the lurch (certainly seems so if he's not paid anything to them so far) then why haven't you already gone to the police. He must be such a loving father to do this to you

thriftylass

si777 wrote: »

I live with my parents, I'm 27 now. Back in 2012 my father ordered a bunch of stuff from a catalogue store (Company Name is Studio). As mentioned he ordered a bunch of stuff which totaled to around £300. He did this in my name, He must of[sic] used his own card as I would of[sic] known sooner if he'd used mine. He didn't pay, I've only just found out about this debt and as you'd imagine the total has gone up to nearly £1400.

Bit confused by this. He ordered it in your name and then I guess intercepted the delivery (with your name on it?). He used his card? So they should be chasing the cardholder - him? not you. How did he use his card but not pay?

Sncjw

I am confused with his how did he use his card but not pay for it and it!!!8217;s in your name?