Loan taken out in my name/identity theft

Neil147

Hi.
My 21 year old daughter had her bank card and identity stolen last year and a loan was taken out in her name with Santander. She herself banks with Santander.

She reported her bank card missing to the police and the bank. A crime reference number was allocated bt the police. But by the time she had reported the card stolen, the loan had already been taken out. 

The issue is very soon being handed over to debt collectors if she does not pay back the loan.

My daughter became a mum a few months ago and is at the end of her tether. Santander are not listening and she feels like burying her head in the sand.

Please, please can someone offer any positive advice.

Thanks.
Neil. 

[Deleted User]

What conversations have taken place with Santander to date?

Ditzy_Mitzy

What happened to the loan capital?  Either it was paid into the victim's account and left there or immediately transferred out to a bank account operated by the fraudster.  If the money is still there it can be paid back to Santander, if not you'll need to take action to get it back from wherever the fraudster transferred it to, assuming such action is possible.  If the cash has been and gone, Santander shouldn't be pursuing her for repayment of the debt as it's not her debt so to speak.  Has Santander accepted there has been a fraud, and what action is the bank taking?

Neil147

Santander wont help. They won't show her any paperwork. They've refused to take my daughters plea seriously even though there was a crime ref number, and about to involve the bailiffs.
Loan was withdrawn via cash machine with my daughters stolen bank card.

Ditzy_Mitzy

Is this actually a loan, or is it an overdraft?  

Neil147

Loan 500, she has to pay back 948. Definitely a loan and not overdraft. 

Ditzy_Mitzy

That's coming out at 89.6% APR. 

MEM62

I am struggling with the fact that there was sufficient time for the loan to be applied for, approved and removed from the account with the (still active) card before it was reported to Santader.  How long after the card was stolen was it before the report was made? 
If this has been reported a fraud then Santander should investigate.  If they have not taken any action then you need to raise this as a formal complaint.  You should also be aware that bailiffs cannot be instructed unless the case has already been to court and judgement made against your daughter.       

Clive_Woody

Presumably they also had her PIN if they were able to withdraw money from a cashpoint. How did they get her PIN?

Neil147

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread so far.

I've asked my daughter to collate all correspondence with Santander and send it to me. But it's all at her mum's.

My daughter is currently in emergency accommodation and will gather the information needed from her mum's as soon as she can.

My daughter suspects that it's someone she knows that's taken out this loan and withdrawing from bank machine because they knew her pin.

Thanks all. 
Neil.

Takmon

Neil147 said:

My daughter suspects that it's someone she knows that's taken out this loan and withdrawing from bank machine because they knew her pin.

Well nobody should know her PIN, no matter how close they are too her. So for someone to know all the personal information about her to apply for a loan, to know her PIN and get access to her card means she has been very negligent and i'm not surprised they don't believe that it was her that has done it.