Fraud

LeMarais1979

brianposter said:

Have you discovered anything about the location of the fraudster ?

I have the address she/they registered my cc at, it’s in SE London. I’ve established that a business is registered to that address and one of the named directors is a nurse who I found on Facebook. The mobile number used - I saw it on my cc app - is a PAYG EE one... that’s all I have. I did contemplate setting up a throwaway fb acc’ so I could message this nurse, see if I can find out anything more, but what would I do with the info? I don’t think the police would be interested, would they? 

notveryeducated

LeMarais1979 said:

brianposter said:

Have you discovered anything about the location of the fraudster ?

I have the address she/they registered my cc at, it’s in SE London. I’ve established that a business is registered to that address and one of the named directors is a nurse who I found on Facebook. The mobile number used - I saw it on my cc app - is a PAYG EE one... that’s all I have. I did contemplate setting up a throwaway fb acc’ so I could message this nurse, see if I can find out anything more, but what would I do with the info? I don’t think the police would be interested, would they? 

Report this to Action Fraud.

p00hsticks

Gerry1 said:

I'm surprised that identity theft doesn't happen more often.  Most banks are complete idiots when it comes to so-called security questions. 

Most companies always ask for the same old information (DoB, mother's maiden name etc) so security is largely illusory.  They are breaking two of the golden rules of passwords: don't share passwords, and use information that's known only by the customer.

The banks may ask for security questions like mothers maiden name, first pet etc, but there's no need for the customer to provide a factual answer to these questions - just choose some false answers to these questions that you'll remember but no-one else can find out.

brianposter

LeMarais1979 said;

I have the address she/they registered my cc at, it’s in SE London.

Google streetview ?

LeMarais1979

p00hsticks said:

Gerry1 said:

I'm surprised that identity theft doesn't happen more often.  Most banks are complete idiots when it comes to so-called security questions. 

Most companies always ask for the same old information (DoB, mother's maiden name etc) so security is largely illusory.  They are breaking two of the golden rules of passwords: don't share passwords, and use information that's known only by the customer.

The banks may ask for security questions like mothers maiden name, first pet etc, but there's no need for the customer to provide a factual answer to these questions - just choose some false answers to these questions that you'll remember but no-one else can find out.

Agreed! I’ve chosen my questions & answers: nothing relating to names/family/dates etc - very obscure - not even my partner would know the answers. 

LeMarais1979

brianposter said:

LeMarais1979 said;

I have the address she/they registered my cc at, it’s in SE London.

Google streetview ?

I’ve had a look. On right move it would seem the house is now two flats however when they updated the address they used 124 opposed to 124A/B . 

LeMarais1979

notveryeducated said:

LeMarais1979 said:

brianposter said:

Have you discovered anything about the location of the fraudster ?

I have the address she/they registered my cc at, it’s in SE London. I’ve established that a business is registered to that address and one of the named directors is a nurse who I found on Facebook. The mobile number used - I saw it on my cc app - is a PAYG EE one... that’s all I have. I did contemplate setting up a throwaway fb acc’ so I could message this nurse, see if I can find out anything more, but what would I do with the info? I don’t think the police would be interested, would they? 

Report this to Action Fraud.

Thank you, I’ve now done this. The email they sent after the report implies that it will only be used for statistics as no money has been taken 🤷‍♀️

brianposter

LeMarais1979 said:

. The email they sent after the report implies that it will only be used for statistics as no money has been taken 🤷‍♀️

I would be very annoyed by this response and would probably make a formal complaint to Action Fraud with a copy to my MP.

At a minimum someone would be told that their mailbox is not secure, or alternatively, if the police visited with a warrant and a recording of the fraudster, significant further information might come to light.

eddddy

LeMarais1979 said:

notveryeducated said:

Report this to Action Fraud.

Thank you, I’ve now done this. The email they sent after the report implies that it will only be used for statistics as no money has been taken 🤷‍♀️

The fraud (or attempted fraud) was against the credit card company - or perhaps against merchants who parted with goods, and then had the fraudulent payment reversed.

So it's the card company and/or merchants who would report the fraud, and how much money (if any) they lost as a result of the fraud.

Card companies have sophisticated ways of dealing with fraud, but they won't discuss them with you and/or "joe public", to avoid tipping off fraudsters.

As an example, here's details of a "sting" that card companies helped Europol with, to catch 79 payment card fraudsters. https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/79-arrested-in-worldwide-crackdown-airline-fraud

LeMarais1979

brianposter said:

LeMarais1979 said:

. The email they sent after the report implies that it will only be used for statistics as no money has been taken 🤷‍♀️

I would be very annoyed by this response and would probably make a formal complaint to Action Fraud with a copy to my MP.

At a minimum someone would be told that their mailbox is not secure, or alternatively, if the police visited with a warrant and a recording of the fraudster, significant further information might come to light.

Okay, thank you for this advice, I will do as you suggest. I was thinking surely the police would be interested in this address because I’ve no doubt that a lot of activity is going on there.