Card sent without application!!

udydudy

Has anyone faced this before? We have received a Vanquis Credit Card(Limit £500!! :mad: all our crads are much above that) without even applying for one!!.

Called Vanquis to report it and got to a stone wall!!. The card is on my wifes first name but with a Mr. Initially they said they would only talk to her as it purpotedly is in her name and when I insisted that I was not married to a Male (I am male) and the card is on a male name how could I put them on to a non-existent person.

Put me on hold and then came back and said "Send the card back and we will investigate". Would not even say how it was applied for or anything! ofcourse I have told them will send card back only after cutting it into 4 pieces and also said wanted confirmation that the card account had been suspended and that we would not be liable for any fraud on this account.


Wonder what I should do? anyone there any ideas.? Is this normal practice for Vanquis? no wonder they are for poor credit score guys. Their service and attitude is SUB-PRIME to say the least.

GeorgeUK

check your credit history - see if vanquis has done a credit check on you recently.

Someone may have been trying to use details that weren't their own, but in those cases, they don't usually put the original address. If there is nothing on your credit history, then i'd send the card pieces back explaining that you want written confirmation from them that you are in no way responsible for the card or have any debt to the company.

If you aren't written to within about a week, get a subject access request sent so that you can see what details, if any, they hold on you and report it to TS or OFT.

udydudy

GeorgeUK wrote: »

check your credit history - see if vanquis has done a credit check on you recently.

If you aren't written to within about a week, get a subject access request sent so that you can see what details, if any, they hold on you and report it to TS or OFT.

Surprise Surprise!!:rolleyes: Got mine and the OH Experian Report. Vanquis has done search on both our report on the 17th Nov 07, and guess what the report taken on the 2nd Dec 07 does not show the account as yet except for the searches. But today received a statement showing cash taken out on the card on the 20th Nov 07.

Best part is The period 17th Nov to 22nd Nov I was not even in the country and nobody was at home. The card was received only on the 26th or 27th Nov 07. The pin came in 2 days later.

Vanquis refuses to give any explanation other than saying "send the card back and we will look into it".

Obviously I would go so far as to think that someone within Vanquis is hand in glove with whoever is perpetrating the fraud. How can an application be made on a Saturday and cash withdrawn within 2 working days (Tuesday) without some insider being part of it!!

I wonder which authorities should this be reported to. Any ideas anyone out there?

System

what exactly are you mad about the fact you recieved this card without requesting it or the fact it has a low limit ?

taless

Chrissyg, Udydudy was annoyed because fraud has occured - someone applied for the Vanquis card in his name and took out cash.

Since this is fraud, I would suggest reporting it to the police?

Tirian

Police no longer deal with fraud reports of this nature - they will refer you to the bank/credit card issuer. Fraud reports on personal accounts can now only be raised with the police by the credit card issuer/bank themselves.

The key here is to ensure that Vanquis admit that you did not apply for this card, and are not responsible for anything spent/withdrawn on it - and that they amend the entries with the credit reference agencies accordingly. If they get shirty, let them know that your next port of call will be the Financial Services Ombudsman ... that will generally stimulate a response, as they have to pay £400 or so for any investigatino from the them, whether the case is found against them or not ...

System

i am well aware that fraud is a serious offence but i did find it strange that the op seemed to be offended at the low limit.

Burlesque_Babe

Maybe it was just a misplace smiley and he meant :rolleyes: not :mad: although I think he is entitled to be :mad: :mad: :mad: at every aspect!!!

bathgatebuyer

Don't cut it into four bits, shred it completely. Vanquish should not need the card to know what details are on it. Tell them the card has been safely shredded and destroyed and that, as you have no idea who has committed this fraud, you sure as hell aren't going to just send it back to them.

Perhaps someone made the application with a view to intercept the card when it was being sent? I think this is one of the more common ways of commiting fraud like that.

My former neighbour did stuff like this to us all the time with catalogues, accounts, anything and it was only when the companies involved got anonymous tip offs as to what he was doing that the Police turned up and investigate. They weren't interested in little old us complaining, but when Vodafone, Next, BT and MBNA got a sniff of the frauds, the Police were there within about 3 hours banging on his door (Prison was his next abode) Our problem was a shared letterbox at the foot of the stair, so we all collected our mail from the same place which made it really easy for that lying, pathetic, waste of space and oxygen excuse for a human being to rip off the most vulnerable people in my block (including a 70 yr old blind man :mad: just so he could buy crap for his equally pathetic waste of space fraudster girlfriend).

It's ridiculous that the Police aren't interested in this anymore as if you've been ripped off and suspect some sort of collusion somewhere down the chain, I'm sure you're probably not the first or the last.

Edit: I've just read on another link that Experian say it typically takes nearly 500 days for someone to discover that they have been a victim of identity fraud, so you could be one of the lucky ones and managed to get it early.

udydudy

CHRISSYG wrote: »

what exactly are you mad about the fact you recieved this card without requesting it or the fact it has a low limit ?

neither, I am mad about the card has been issued and used in a matter of 2 wkg days (which i believe is impossible) and also we (me n my OH) have not used it. so chrissyg this is identity fraud. and i would think it is ok to say that this must have been an insider job and that the card company is not worried about it. Also it affects my credit file.

udydudy

bathgatebuyer wrote: »

Don't cut it into four bits, shred it completely. .....
Perhaps someone made the application with a view to intercept the card when it was being sent? I think this is one of the more common ways of commiting fraud like that. .....

Edit: I've just read on another link that Experian say it typically takes nearly 500 days for someone to discover that they have been a victim of identity fraud, so you could be one of the lucky ones and managed to get it early.

Thanks bathgatebuyer, that is exacttly what I told them....I shredded it into umpteen peices and sent it to them. told I didnt want a full card falling into wrong hands.
but what worries me is this seems to be a insider job as the search on my file was done on the 17th nov (Saturday), the account put on my experian file on 19th Nov(Monday -- thats fast!!) and cash advance of £450 out of £500 limit taken on the 20th Nov.

I fail to see without it being an insider job how could anyone apply for a card on a saturday get the card by tuesday morning along with the PIN letter and do a cash advance on the same day!! in 4 days or rather 2 working days flat!!.

I was lucky because I check my files every quarter also because this card turned up on my door. So it was not the normal fraud wherein people apply with teh intention of intercepting. In this case there did not seem any need to intercept as the whole fraud was done and over with before even the card would have left vanquis!!.:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Unless Vanquis are really so effecient that they work 24/7 and make sure their cards are through our post box in 2 wkg days!!. btw the actual card came to me only on the 26th Nov and the pIn on the 28th!!.