ACI debt collection for something I do not recognise

maestro_mauricio

Just received a letter from ACI regarding an outstanding credit card debt with HSBC for over £6K.
I have never had a credit card or an account with HSBC. 
My credit record is spotless and nothing like that shows on Experian.
What shall I do?

fatbelly

Ok. There have been a lot of these recently.

Send them a prove-it letter. Link is in the sticky threads.

See what comes back

Genset528

I have been receiving some worrying letters and emails from ACI and Intrum UK Finance Limited claiming I originally owed nearly £3,000 to Citifinancial Europe PLC. It is a company I have never had a loan or credit card with and they were barred from operating by the FCA 26/01/2016. I have checked with my Experian account and I have no record of credit with this company. I have tried the suggested Prove it Letter and their response was as follows: 

Unfortunately, we have been unable to locate your account from your email address.
To allow us to respond to your email, please provide answers to the following questions: 

• Your full name.
• Your date of birth.
• The first line of your current address and postcode.
• The first line of any previous addresses and postcodes.

Once you have provided the above information and have been able to locate your account(s), we will then be able to respond to your original query. 

I am concerned that if I provide personal details they will be able to fabricate a fictitious account.

Can anyone suggest what I should do? 

RAS

Ignore. Probably a fishing expedition. Someone with the same surname, same date of birth but nothing to do with you.

Responding just encourages them to hound you, regardless.

sourcrates

Normally its best to start your own new thread, to avoid confusion, but as the OP has not returned for nearly a year, I doubt they will mind.

What happens is this, these companies buy up large portfolio`s of old debts, sometime with very scant information about them, so they letter bomb anyone within a certain area with similar details, and hope someone will respond, as you did.

Now they have a target, they have asked for your details to see if they can match them to the few details they already have, as RAS says, its known as a fishing expedition.

It`s probably nothing to do with you, but people do sometimes forget about old debts, I`d ignore it for now, unless you get a letter before action in the post, then post back for further advice.

Genset528

Thank you for your comments and advise, I will try ignoring the letters and emails to see if things escalate, if they do, I will start my own thread on this as you have suggested.