HELP - victim of ID fraud - various DCA's chasing

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little_green
little_green Posts: 652 Forumite
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edited 18 August 2019 at 3:29PM in Credit file & ratings
As many of you know, there were fraudulent transactions on my bank account earlier this year. The transactions appeared as paypal transactions but nothing was on my paypal account. The transactions were reported to the bank who cancelled my debit card at the time & issued a new one. I was later refunded the money by the bank.

I thought that was the end of the matter but a few months later got a letter through from a Debt Collection Agency (DCA) advising paypal had passed them my details as I owed money to them. I contacted both PP & DCA to dispute the debt & seek further clarity. PP refused to provide any details & DCA ignored my email.

This month I received a second letter from the same DCA chasing this debt (despite them not replying to my first email). I have emailed them a Prove it letter but expect them to ignore that as well & continue to demand payment. I fully expect them to escalate to law enforcement.

Yesterday I received a letter from a separate DCA this time from my own country (not the UK) chasing alleged debt owed to a phone company for an unpaid phone bill. I know I have never used this company.

I'll also add that in relation to both cases the letter from respective DCA's is the first i've head re the debts. Surely if you owed a company money they would contact you directly to settle before escalating to a DCA? It may be the case that the companies did make contact via email but that would have went to the fraudsters email account not mines, but still seems weird the company wouldn't issue an actual letter to my address before passing it to DCA. Isnt that strange?

To me it's pretty clear that someone (most likely the person who made the initial fraudulent transactions) now that they are unable to make payments from my card (as it was cancelled by the bank) is instead just using my identity, name & address (at the least) to open various types of accounts/take out products etc on an international scale & accrue debt for which I am being held responsible by various DCA's around the world now.

I have spoken to the police however they refused to provide a crime ref no as they state there is no evidence of a crime being committed. (I disputed this as pretty sure that identity fraud is a crime, but they said that until I could identify the person responsible the would take no action. Pretty sure it's their job to investigate crime but whatever).

It seems ridiculous that someone can simply accrue debt in my name, across the globe & yet nothing is done about it & that I am liable for this? That can't be right? How can i put a stop to this & prove my innocence? I want to stop this as what's to stop this person accruing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of debt? Which I have read cases of happening. But no one wants to help.

I spoke to the bank but they said since no money is currently missing from my account they cant do anything.

Action fraud don't investigate only record.
I will alert CIFAS as well but think they only check any credit applications for the UK not globally.

I cant live in fear of opening the mail everyday to god knows how many letters from DCA's & to what value.

Is there a way to resolve/pursue this?

REALLY REALLY WOULD LIKE SOME HELP.

Comments

  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,878 Ambassador
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    Apart from the other suggestions I have made, which apparently you have already tried, the only other thing I can suggest is speaking to the ICO (Information commisionaires office) and see what they can advise :


    https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/identity-theft/


    I don`t know which country you originate from, but you can only deal with UK issues in the UK.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598 Forumite
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    In your third paeageaph you mention law enforcement, you dont mean the police do you ? If you do, they wont Be interested.

    I dont know if its been suggested but consider moving you bank account, yes ot might be a drastic measure but think about it.
  • little_green
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    sourcrates wrote: »
    Apart from the other suggestions I have made, which apparently you have already tried, the only other thing I can suggest is speaking to the ICO (Information commisionaires office) and see what they can advise :

    https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/identity-theft/

    I don`t know which country you originate from, but you can only deal with UK issues in the UK.
    I am from another EU country but have been living in the UK for 7 years. The bank account that was initially compromised is UK account. All mail from DCA's is coming to my UK address not the address I was registered to back home. You mentioned that i'm unlikely to be penalized for debts outwith the UK, but the most recent DCA letter received is direct from a DCA back in my own country but issued to my UK address.
    DCFC79 wrote: »
    In your third paeageaph you mention law enforcement, you dont mean the police do you ? If you do, they wont Be interested.

    I dont know if its been suggested but consider moving you bank account, yes ot might be a drastic measure but think about it.

    by law enforcement I meant the bailiffs who will come round & seize items.
    Why would moving banks be a good idea? The account that was compromised still exists but there have been no more fraudulent transactions on that account since the card was cancelled & i was issued with a new one. The bank have checked & no payment amounts relating to the either of the alleged debt balances tried to be taken from that old card. As I say, i think the perp. has caught on the card was cancelled hence found a new way to scam me - setting up accounts/taking out products in my name & address & then not paying the bill. Just seems crazy that that's all you need to take out a contract with a company?

    I also don't understand why no one wants to help with this. Don't the police have a legal obligation to investigate crimes?
    There MUST be some agency that can help?
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598 Forumite
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    I am from another EU country but have been living in the UK for 7 years. The bank account that was initially compromised is UK account. All mail from DCA's is coming to my UK address not the address I was registered to back home. You mentioned that i'm unlikely to be penalized for debts outwith the UK, but the most recent DCA letter received is direct from a DCA back in my own country but issued to my UK address.



    by law enforcement I meant the bailiffs who will come round & seize items.
    Why would moving banks be a good idea? The account that was compromised still exists but there have been no more fraudulent transactions on that account since the card was cancelled & i was issued with a new one. The bank have checked & no payment amounts relating to the either of the alleged debt balances tried to be taken from that old card. As I say, i think the perp. has caught on the card was cancelled hence found a new way to scam me - setting up accounts/taking out products in my name & address & then not paying the bill. Just seems crazy that that's all you need to take out a contract with a company?

    I also don't understand why no one wants to help with this. Don't the police have a legal obligation to investigate crimes?
    There MUST be some agency that can help?

    Law enforcement aren't bailiffs, they don't enfkrce the law.
    If bailiffs do come round, you dispute it with them.

    How did said person get your details to do this though.
    Look into if cifas would be of use to you.
  • jonesMUFCforever
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    This sounds very like this from this weekend's Mail

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/beatthescammers/article-7332251/Ebay-fraudsters-scammed-11-000-separate-times-cost-business-54-000.html

    Where somebody seems to have been able to hack your Paypal account and change stuff?
  • little_green
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    DCFC79 wrote: »
    Law enforcement aren't bailiffs, they don't enfkrce the law.
    If bailiffs do come round, you dispute it with them.

    How did said person get your details to do this though.
    Look into if cifas would be of use to you.
    disputing with bailifs will be pointless as they will just say they are acting on behalf of DCA & that's who i should raise the dispute with (which i've already done & been ignored!).
    I'm not sure how they got my details. I assume it was my card details they got given the first fraudulent activity was transactions on my account.
    I was going via airports around that time, I've heard you get things now that can pull details from contactless cards etc, could it be that?
  • little_green
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    This sounds very like this from this weekend's Mail

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/beatthescammers/article-7332251/Ebay-fraudsters-scammed-11-000-separate-times-cost-business-54-000.html

    Where somebody seems to have been able to hack your Paypal account and change stuff?
    yes that's another possibility, hacking the paypal account i suppose. How can you tell all this stuff though, i mean like where can I get confirmation of what has actually happened? Surely it can't be up to me to solely carry out an investigation on this?
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