Ex-Landlord threatening me with fraud for using his/our address for credit checking

fatboyslick

dahj said:

fatboyslick said:

colsten said:

fatboyslick said:

So, my landlord said they simply ran a credit score on Clearview and that’s why they could see my data. 

What does "run a credit score" mean? Nobody is allowed to look at your credit file without your prior permission.

fatboyslick said:

.can you believe I can see all of their searches for my old property!!! A huge data breach. 

Do you mean you can see searches for names other than your own at your old address?

fatboyslick said:

I rang Equifax who believe the crossover is because a) I have the same first name as my landlord and b) out DoBs are within a week of each other!

That's a lame excuse if I have ever heard one!!! No credit reference agency should match first names at the same address (assuming your landlord actually also lived/s at the your old address) to the same individual. Not even if they have the same DoB, which in your case you haven't.


There is a complaints procedure at Equifax - sounds to me as if you should be raising a formal complaint if they have indeed merged your data with your ex-landlord's

In a nutshell, my credit searches were showing up on my landlords credit report and vice versa. 

So when they used ClearScore they were seeing my searches on the app. That is the photos they sent me!

And yes when I opened my credit report (sorry I keep interchanging credit score with credit report) I can see my landlords recent searches as well as my own.

we are both filing a complaint against Equifax.
The only logical conclusion is that they merged us based on lazy data capturing 

As soon I read this thread, I thought that they created a financial association between you both - temporary joint utility bill or something basic like that like that would be sufficient.  I'm assuming the ex-LL isn't a ex-GF or ex-BF too.

No they’re not ex-GF or anything like that....literally someone who lived abroad and we so happened to have the same first name and very similar DoBs

Sounds like this could be more common than o realised if they create associates so easily  

colsten

A financial association does not mean you can see the other person's credit reference files.

Chino

fatboyslick said:

we are both filing a complaint against Equifax.

You also both need to lodge a complaint about Equifax with the Information Commissioner's Office:
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/your-personal-information-concerns/

[Deleted User]

colsten said:

A financial association does not mean you can see the other person's credit reference files.

Did I say they could see the other person's file?! 
You can however see their credit checks are they also run them against you hence the association... 

penners324

What does it say under the Financial associations section of the CRA report?

penners324

Have you checked Experian and Credit Karma as well?

msallen

Other than the apparent screwup by the CRA, the screenshot appears to show that you applied for credit in February whilst living at your old address, so there may also be an identity theft issue here - i.e. it looks like someone tried to impersonate you to apply for credit, but inadvertently used your old address (as that was what was in the stolen data they had).

phillw

msallen said:

but inadvertently used your old address (as that was what was in the stolen data they had).

Or maybe it's the new tenants, which would make gaining access to correspondence a whole lot easier.

msallen

phillw said:

msallen said:

but inadvertently used your old address (as that was what was in the stolen data they had).

Or maybe it's the new tenants, which would make gaining access to correspondence a whole lot easier.

Good point !
Either way you need to investigate this apparent credit application OP. I assume you can see it your own credit history file?