Octopus LCS contact - anyone else? *Resolved*

EssexHebridean

Morning all. I have this morning had a text from LCS - who are a debt recovery company - asking for me to contact them about my octopus account. It appears to be genuinely from LCS - I have already checked that. 

The Client Reference it quotes looks a little like an Octopus account number but isn't mine - and indeed the format is very slightly different to mine as well. I'm confident that the message is not anything to do with my account but obviously want to get things straightened out to ensure that my phone number hasn't been mistakenly attached to someone elses debt. In order to check this directly with LCS I would have to volunteer a lot of personal information to them that they would not otherwise have and so I will be trying to sort this out directly via Octopus.

First question for the forum is can anyone tell me whether they have Octopus account numbers in the following format (where N = numbers and L = letters)

A-NNNNLNNL  - if yours fits that format, are you by any chance a former Bulb customer who has been transferred? 

(For clarity - my account number fits the format of A-LLLLNNNN which is believe is standard, and our account with Octopus has always been in credit since immediately after joining them)

 

fatbelly

LCS are notoriously incompetent and the general rule is to ignore texts.

I doubt they will be writing to you.

My format is

L-NNLNNNNL

EssexHebridean

Yep - I know they have a reputation, and I really don't expect to hear from them in writing,. My gut feeling is that somewhere along the line my phone number has been attached to someone elses account in error. I want to get it sorted though as otherwise I can see a situation arising where I start getting phone calls from them! 

Thanks for the format-check as well - it appears that perhaps they use a variety of different formats then, perhaps depending on how customers have arrived with them (SOLR/takeover of business for another reason/referred by existing customer/just signed up cold via website or phone) 

noitsnotme

Mine is A-LNNLNNNL

I was referred by an existing member.

EssexHebridean

In that case it must just be completely random as I was also referred! 

noitsnotme

EssexHebridean said:

In that case it must just be completely random as I was also referred! 

It looks like the numbers after the A- are hexadecimal.

EssexHebridean

I can wrap this one up following a conversation with Octopus.

It was as I expected, but in a slightly more complicated way. The account in question relates to the property we sold and moved out of just over a year ago. Octopus now have the names of our buyers, and a potted history of what we know about how the property has been used/lived in since. They are contacting LCS to confirm to them that the telephone number that they have has been given in error and is incorrect and nothing to do with the account in arrears.  It would appear that not only did our buyer ever contact Octopus to open an account neither did her tenants when they moved in. Unsurprisingly, Octopus are now looking to try to get a years worth of electricity paid for!

I now have written confirmation from Octopus that our account is in order. They will be contacting LCS to get my phone number (and any other references to me/MrEH) removed from the file, and with luck, that should be the last we hear of it! 

I did do the decent thing and confirm to them that I believed that no gas would have been used since we moved out - as we know that our buyers installed an electric cooker. 

I suspect the suggestion that account numbers are hexadecimal is correct as having looked closer at mine, I believe the actual format may well be A-LLNLNNNN - with that first "N" being "0" rather than the letter O I assumed originally. 

EssexHebridean

Aaaand exactly as predicted, this morning, a call from LCS… 🙄 They have been told to go away and talk to Octopus. I have also now asked Octopus for the exact details of my personal information that has been passed to LCS - as the caller today clearly had my name. 

grn99

EssexHebridean said:

Aaaand exactly as predicted, this morning, a call from LCS… 🙄 They have been told to go away and talk to Octopus. I have also now asked Octopus for the exact details of my personal information that has been passed to LCS - as the caller today clearly had my name. 

That was my concern when I first read your post; Octopus just handing out your personal information to an organisation who has no need for your information.

noitsnotme

Is this a data breach that Octopus are obliged to report (to ICO?)?

Here it says - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/report-a-breach/personal-data-breach/personal-data-breaches-a-guide/#whatisa

“What is a personal data breach….  sending personal data to an incorrect recipient…”

EssexHebridean

grn99 said:

EssexHebridean said:

Aaaand exactly as predicted, this morning, a call from LCS… 🙄 They have been told to go away and talk to Octopus. I have also now asked Octopus for the exact details of my personal information that has been passed to LCS - as the caller today clearly had my name. 

That was my concern when I first read your post; Octopus just handing out your personal information to an organisation who has no need for your information.

Yes - exactly this. All the more so as this is a debt collection company also!  

noitsnotme said:

Is this a data breach that Octopus are obliged to report (to ICO?)?

Here it says - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/report-a-breach/personal-data-breach/personal-data-breaches-a-guide/#whatisa

“What is a personal data breach….  sending personal data to an incorrect recipient…”

Hmmm...possibly. I will wait and see what they say when they reply before I look further in to that one - I've no wish to create issues for them, but on the other hand, that will rely on them being decent and honest over it themselves.