Vanquis bank - received a credit card i never applied for!!

MissisR

Hello everybody!

I got a credit card (with credit limit of £1,000) in the post from Vanquis bank which I never applied for! Spent last 1,5 months calling Vanquis speaking to their Fraud Department trying to get an answer. Asked them to cancel this account on 3 separate calls to their agents. This account still showing as ‘active’ on my Credit File after 1,5 months! Vanquis keep telling me they are ‘investigating’.
My credit score went down 22 points because of this! 

MissisR

My credit score went 22 points down because of this as they performed a ‘search’ on me (that I never needed / authorised). Really strange situation and not sure if Vanquis just obtained my details via third party and decided to send me a credit card without my permission?

 I googled this bank (as I never heard of it before) and a few people say they received cards they never requested from Vanquis bank too!

anybody knows what I should do next?

[Deleted User]

They won't have just decided to send you a card, as that's not what card companies do. The most likely explanation is that someone has applied for it on your name - and most likely, someone you know.

Don't worry about your 22 points. No one even knows you even had them, let alone lost them.

Make sure the account is removed from your files once their investigations are complete.

MissisR

Deleted_User said:

They won't have just decided to send you a card, as that's not what card companies do. The most likely explanation is that someone has applied for it on your name - and most likely, someone you know.

Don't worry about your 22 points. No one even knows you even had them, let alone lost them.

Make sure the account is removed from your files once their investigations are complete.

Thank You for your answer! 

Is it definitely the case that somebody applied for this card using my details? But i do not see the point of this as the credit card (and PIN code) came to my home address and nobody else would have access to them? How would fraudsters use this card?

I find it very suspicious as Vanquis are part of Provident (and i had a mortgage with Provident) and are connected to NatWest (I have an account with NatWest).

Do I need to get to the bottom of this - i.e. who applied to this without my permission (I called the police too, but they directed me to some other body to file a fraud report)?

The weird fact also was - when I got the card in the post - it said to call a number to 'activate the card' - i deliberately called another number (Customer Services) - but to get through - i needed to enter my date of birth (without it, i could not even speak to anybody!) - so i was stupid and entered my date of birth and heard a message : 'your card has been activated'! isn't that a bit strange? I definitely pressed the option 'to discuss my account' (not 'activate my card'!)

[Deleted User]

MissisR said:

Deleted_User said:

They won't have just decided to send you a card, as that's not what card companies do. The most likely explanation is that someone has applied for it on your name - and most likely, someone you know.

Don't worry about your 22 points. No one even knows you even had them, let alone lost them.

Make sure the account is removed from your files once their investigations are complete.

Is it definitely the case that somebody applied for this card using my details? But i do not see the point of this as the credit card (and PIN code) came to my home address and nobody else would have access to them? How would fraudsters use this card?

By hoping to intercept it before you did. That's why it's likely to be someone you know.

It's not suspicious to have a mortgage with Vanquis or an account with NatWest. Many people do. And having to input your date of birth for customer services isn't weird - it enables them to identify you before you get put through to an agent. So that's all fine.

It would be worth filing a report with Action Fraud and giving the reference to Vanquis. 

MissisR

Ok, will do, thank you so much!!