PRA Group pursuing mystery debt

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82058717#Comment_82058717

OP needs to contact PRA asap as PRA may go for a ccj if it's not sorted out.

Don't understand how people forget about having a credit card/account for years but then people do have hectic lives.

I would want to know when this happened as changing the account address would mean someone had access to the statements and card at some point to request a change of address.

retiredbanker1

There is no way BOS would increase limits if monthly repayments were not made - did these payments come from your account without you noticing?

If not then BOS can easily tell where the payments were coming from.

ambriel

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82058717#Comment_82058717

I only spoke to them on the phone today. They seemed satisfied with what I told them. Presumably PRA will refer it back to them, once I've spoken to them on Monday, and the ball will start rolling.

Boohoo

I went in to the bank a few days ago to query an odd text message I'd received and they updated my address then. They told me to ignore the text!

To me the timeline doesn't seem correct.

In a few days you contact BoS about a SMS and then within 3 days you get a letter from PRA about the debt.

What about this SMS made you go to the bank in person and how did you pass security checks as you don't know the address of where the new cards where being sent to.

Do you have old copies of cc statements going back to before you forgot about this cc to see what the limit was?

As mentioned before the limit raised will only happen if the account has been run properly and paid so how was the balance being paid and from who's account?

I have asked this before, have you checked all the credit reference agencies to see if anything else is amiss and also the BoS card history to see when the card was defaulted or payments missed?

Also again have you reported this to the Police?

ManyWays

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82058890#Comment_82058890

It may help if you also report the identity theft to Report Fraud https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/

Report Fraud will not do anything, but it gives you a reference number you can tell PRA about.

But I would also be telling BoS that they need to buy the debt back from PRA and get this sorted out

NoodleDoodleMan

"Yes, I only had a credit card account with them. I don't think I ever had internet access - no need for it."

May I ask, with the greatest of respect, why you thought having a quick and convenient way to monitor or manage your credit card was unnecessary ?

Maegi

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82058746#Comment_82058746

I would personally deal 100% with BoS as they can deal with any third parties including DCAs.

As soon as the DCA finds out that debt isn't valid (from the bank) then they'll return it as they won't make any money from it.

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060812#Comment_82060812

With the very little detail from OP we don't know how long this debt has been going on for.

PRA could of paid for the debt months ago and can't see them giving up.

All this is assuming that PRA are not working as BoS collector's and PRA has purchased the debt from them.

I and some have asked OP has checked all the credit reference agencies for disputes and how long this debt has been going on for but now response.

ambriel

Thanks for all the useful comments. I've spoken with PRA who have accepted that I didn't run up this balance and that I haven't ever lived at the address used to raise it. They're referring it back to BoS.

I have, perhaps, been a bit lax in not checking whether any payments were being taken but we all have busy lives and as I wasn't using the card I just assumed it would eventually be closed, as was the case with an MBNA card I also had at the time.

I'll take a look at the Report Fraud website but in Scotland I believe we have to go through 101. I might be wrong.

I'm going to write a letter !!!!!! statement for BoS listing my previous addresses and stating that I never lived at the address they had for me. I should be able to prove this with documents if necessary.

Boohoo

What about credit reference agencies, have you checked them all as it should tell you when the account was in arrears and then you maybe able to work out if anything happened at that time or earlier.

You need to get everything in writing from PRA and BoS saying this debt is not yours for future reference.

Also check to see you don't have any CIFAS markers on you credit file due to identity fraud and also change all you financial passwords as a precaution.