not my debt

Hi guys n girls,
I'm after a little advice:
     A while ago i done a credit check as i was looking to apply for a mortgage, everything was fine. Whist waiting for the right house to come along i checked my credit file and now theres a default on it. After some tedious research the  default is none payment of a 3 mobile contract in my name from 2017 at the address i lived at with my ex, we separated in 2016 , i have been in contact with the council we rented the property from and they have sent me an email with the dates the joint tenancy ended.
I am presuming the ex took out the contract as she was still living there at the time, but have no proof of this. 
I contacted 3 and all they kept saying was they needed a ref number, so called  Lowell they just answer and hang up, 
I have been told that if i get the police involved that my credit file will have a, susceptible to identity theft on my credit file or pay asking lowell to remove default as a good will gesture or ignore and not pay as only a couple years to run , i'd rather sort this out as its getting in the way of my mortgage.

any help would really be appreciated 
Thanks Mick

Comments

  • Jon_01
    Jon_01 Posts: 5,870 Forumite
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    Paying won't remove it from your credit file, it's there for 6 years from the point it's listed.
    The only way to remove it is report it as fraud and let Three investigate it.
  • sdduk
    sdduk Posts: 1,419 Forumite
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    I agree with Jon_01 the trouble is it's in your name and as far as 3 are concerned you owe the money to them unless you have proof she took the contract out in your name and thats your problem proving she did it.
    So you may have to go to the police to get a crime number to give to 3 to investigate.
    Hopefully you can sort it. 
    Nobody is Perfect. I am Nobody, therefore I am Perfect.
    :)
  • nic_c
    nic_c Posts: 2,928 Forumite
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    You can report it as Fraud and the police could investigate and prosecute your ex. You can also contact 3 or Lowell and report fraud, but they may say it shows that you signed up and it was delivered to an address you were at and letters also sent there. So you probably would need to show that you weren't (it's when it was taken out not when it defaulted)

    If you ignore it, most likely it won't go away and you could end up with a CCJ.
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