Old CC or Fraud?

matt_outandabout

I had a CC with Tesco Bank which was closed in 2016. I can see all the data in my MoneysavingCreditClub dashboard.

Early in 2021 I received genuine Tesco Bank emails about my Credit Card statement. I called and spoke with multiple people over the summer, but none could get me into my account as supposedly my addresses and CC number did not agree with security and the account was / could be closed.

The last digits on these 2021 emails for my CC do not tally with the last four digits from my CC account that closed in 2016.

By November 2021 I was told to write in with as much information as I could, not least addresses going back to 2010, DOB etc. The reason given was that there may be a credit balance on the account - and so it is not properly closed despite showing as closed. This was a situation the call handler had before, rather than specific advice to me.

I have not had a reply to that letter in end November 2021.

Today I receive another auto email about a monthly CC statement. I called again, this time to the fraud people, as I am now concerned I may have an account I know nothing about or some other issue. No progress - my addresses and information did not get me past security. I was unable to ask them to look into things from a fraud point of view, and was told that any correspondence may go to whatever postal address there is, non of which match my addresses going back to 2010.

So, two possibilities:
- The account is not fully closed as it has a credit balance. 
- I am victim of some kind of fraud.

Neither of which Tesco are helpful in resolving and basically won't speak to me and have not replied to a letter, even to acknowledge it's arrival.

Where to from here? Registered letter and try again?

[Deleted User]

Don't send registered letters. Use the published contact address or email address.

Submit a SAR and check your credit files for any activity.

born_again

Clearly no matter what if you can not pass security there is nothing they can tell you.

If the account was not closed then you would still be getting cards. So how many times have you moved since you asked for closure. As any balance on the account I would have expected them to contact you straight away, or even any CPA being taken. Given they clearly have a valid email address.

So as per @Deleted_User
A SAR would give you all details for your previous valid account. NOT any that may have been opened by a fraudster. As that would be a seperate account.

[Deleted User]

born_again said:

So as per @Deleted_User
A SAR would give you all details for your previous valid account. NOT any that may have been opened by a fraudster. As that would be a seperate account.

But if they are joined via their SCV, as they should be, it will pull all the data together into the SAR.

A SAR is subject specific, not account specific.

Sandtree

born_again said:

So as per @Deleted_User
A SAR would give you all details for your previous valid account. NOT any that may have been opened by a fraudster. As that would be a seperate account.

A DSARs should also give you the details of an account opened by a fraudster assuming you ask for data pertaining to all credit cards held in your name and the details used by the fraudster are close enough to the OP's to pass security checks (which should consider historic addresses too). 

Obviously if you explicitly ask for just a single account's data then thats all you'll get.

matt_outandabout

@born_again - We have moved twice since opening an account, but the closure date is at our current address.

What is a SAR?

eskbanker

matt_outandabout said:

What is a SAR?

Subject Access Request, i.e. a formal request to access your personal data using your rights under the Data Protection Act:

https://www.tescobank.com/help/privacy-policy-banking/?goto=section-14

matt_outandabout

Thank you all.

I have had a response to my email yesterday - they have (finally) escalated into a complaint to be investigated. Whether this works of course we shall see.

I will use the SAR thing if this fails.

Just feels so far that Tesco couldn't see that (rightly tight) data protection/anti-fraud checking was now becoming the barrier to getting something sorted...

matt_outandabout

An update:

In February I got a letter of apology. Not because the issue was solved - but because they had not investigated. And a £60 cheque.
However, I am still receiving emailed statement notifications and the account still appears somehow 'there' under Tesco.
So, back to square 1 with a SAR and request to confirm account closure.