Identity Theft

2021BJ

woodenwheel said:

2021BJ said:

woodenwheel said:

2021BJ said:

They're not going to hand evidence over to you.  It would be wholly inappropriate as well as potentially a breach of the GDPR (if it is identity theft as you claim these are not your accounts)

Report to Action Fraud, send the crime reference to the creditors and let them deal with it.

I have reported it to Actionfraud and now carry a card with me so I can quote the 'crime number' to any Bailiff, Policeman whom I am likely to have to deal with

The evidence gathered could but hasn't been passed or offered to Actionfraud. I love the fact that GDPR is being used to protect criminals. When I first heard that I laughed out loud

I feel the important thing here is the fact I can open bank accounts willy nilly

Carry a card around with you seems like you're firmly in tin-foil hat territory...

You're forgetting here that you are not the victim of a crime, identify theft isn't itself a crime, what is a crime is fraud but you are not the victim of that, the banks are, so it's up to them to report it if they wish to.  It turns out that generally they do not, but that is their prerogative.  The GDPR isn't being used to protect criminals, the evidence is there for law enforcement if they need access to it.  It does, however, stop data from getting into the hands of people who frankly have no justification in obtaining it (you in this case.)

I suspect you were more than happy to not have to trundle off to a bank branch or get copies of your ID certified every time you wanted to open a financial account before this happened and probably would have been the first to make a "current year" argument about having to go into a branch every time you needed to do open an account. Making it far easier for legitimate customers to open accounts does give an avenue to fraudsters but it's not quite the open season you seem to think it is.

I don't see what's wrong with being able to produce a crime number on demand (via having it written on a piece of card) - I'm not in a tin-foil hat either. Have you seen the cost of tin foil these days?

The fact it is so easy to open an account on-line is the root of all this. Of course I would be annoyed with inconvienience of any sort. However, when it comes to opening an account, getting a passport, something of that nature I would have to accept it. The last time I opened an account it was exactly what I had to do.

I do, it's really weird.  Weird that you'd think it necessary to be honest.

You may (I suspect you wouldn't but I'm not getting into a back and forth over it) be willing to walk off to a branch every time you opened an account (what if they didn't have branches, would you be happy to pay for certified copies?) but many would not.  The banks have recognised this and made it easier to open accounts. The trade-off is a higher rate of fraud.  Something they've accepted is a cost they're willing to pay for higher overall profits.

That's really all there is to it.