Stolen Identity

renegadefm

Hello, I have become a victim of stolen identity. The frightening thing is it has highlighted to me just how vulnerable we all can be, because the criminal obtained my credentials i.e. personal information from at least 2 Credit report companies, which are Clear score and Credit Karma, those are the only ones that I know of so far which we're used to gain access to my details.
The criminal then went onto successfully obtain credit in my name. He obtained a Burton's credit card, a mobile phone via Tesco Mobile, 2 further phones via Vodafone, along with a few other things.
The thing that puzzles me the most is on my credit report via Credit Karma, there are a few insurance quotes showing there which I also have nothing to do with, why would anyone trying to gain credit be doing insurance quotes?
Action Fraud have been notified about all this, and the Police, but I don't hold out much hope of the criminal being caught, as it might even be an organized gang.

Clear score have blocked me out of my account for my own protection, but I have been able to create this other account with Credit Karma.
Will any of this affect me? It worry's me just how easy it is to gain someones details via these Credit report companies, how can someone choose not to have their details so available?

yksi

What makes you think they got your personal info FROM the agencies?

The more likely scenario is that someone knew your personal details from some other method and simply applied for credit and the phones. Those places all then report TO the three major agencies. The two you mention take their data from Equifax and Transunion. It's likely you also have entries showing on Experian.

If you haven't had mail stolen or lost a wallet, the most likely scenario is that it's someone you know who's doing this.

renegadefm

Well put it this way. A credit search was done on Clearscore on the 11th December on my account but it wasent me that conducted the search. Then the next day on the 12th credit was being made using my name. As far as I know I havent lost any mail and I definetly havent lost my wallet. The thing is all my details are on Clearscore and it seems as though they were clever in checking that first before even trying to obtain credit.

sourcrates

Identify fraud is not committed by the credit reference agencies.

A search is only logged when someone applies for credit in your name, from your post it’s clear you are not au fair with how this scenario works.
Your details have been compromised somehow, you need to look at how this has happened, your attention needs to be focused elsewhere, it’s normally close to home.

renegadefm

Well Clearscore told me my Clearscore account was logged into on the 11th is my point. But I havent logged into Clearscore for months. They class that as a credit search and listed it as such but it wasent me.
Then the very next day the criminal started gaining credit. The first thing was a Tesco mobile phone. And that was in the Clearscore list just under the credit search which I didnt do.
Did I explain it better this time?

renegadefm

My point was a persons details can be gained from places like Clearscore. They also then know your credit rating which they then know they can succesfully get credit. For example had they discovered I got a poor rating they wouldn't have bothered to use my identity. Its all very calculating.

renegadefm

Plus for the record, I know its no one I know because the girls who served the guy in the Burton shop said he was a dark skinned guy, I am white.

CKhalvashi

renegadefm wrote: »

Well Clearscore told me my Clearscore account was logged into on the 11th is my point. But I havent logged into Clearscore for months. They class that as a credit search and listed it as such but it wasent me.
Then the very next day the criminal started gaining credit. The first thing was a Tesco mobile phone. And that was in the Clearscore list just under the credit search which I didnt do.
Did I explain it better this time?

Checking your own report won't show a hard (or even soft) search.

I've checked my credit file twice this year online. The first showed no application to anything, the second showed an application about a month after the first time I checked my file, when I applied for a financial product.

Something had to be sent by post to me on both occasions which I had to confirm on the website.

Apart from that, the only data shown is for accounts that I hold and the payment history of those accounts.

renegadefm wrote: »

My point was a persons details can be gained from places like Clearscore. They also then know your credit rating which they then know they can succesfully get credit. For example had they discovered I got a poor rating they wouldn't have bothered to use my identity. Its all very calculating.

A credit rating is irrelevant, it's the data that's important. I have no idea if I'll be accepted for something until I apply for it.

It's more likely they'll get your details and then apply for a credit report if this is the case, but it's even more likely that they have the details and simply decided to apply and see.

renegadefm

Thanks but I'm still confused. Why did Clearscore confirm to me my account was logged into the day before all the credit he got? Surely that cant be coincidence?

CKhalvashi

Your account being logged into isn't a credit search, which is an application for a product.

Are you sure you didn't view your file the day before? I feel it unlikely that someone would be able to get into your e-mail and change the password, or know your details. Why would someone want that hassle? For a phone it's not really worth it.

renegadefm

I certainly have not logged into my Clearscore for ages, plus its not just a phone. So far its credit from different sources amounting now to thousands.