Family fraud advice
Jmorris93
Posts: 1 Newbie
Hi everyone
I’ve recently discovered my mother has opened a catalogue account in my name as her credit rating is too poor to do so and has racked up about £400 worth of debt with them. She has missed a number of payments resulting in them sending a final warning letter which is how I found out. I am saving for a house deposit and this has severely affected my credit score and I was wondering if anybody knew if it was possible to address this without going to the police? Thanks in advance
I’ve recently discovered my mother has opened a catalogue account in my name as her credit rating is too poor to do so and has racked up about £400 worth of debt with them. She has missed a number of payments resulting in them sending a final warning letter which is how I found out. I am saving for a house deposit and this has severely affected my credit score and I was wondering if anybody knew if it was possible to address this without going to the police? Thanks in advance
0
Comments
-
you cannot remove it from your credit history without reporting it as a crime to the police and getting a crime number.I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
& Credit Cards 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.0 -
you cannot remove it from your credit history without reporting it as a crime to the police and getting a crime number.
This is correct. You either report her to the police (potentially having her undergo fraud charges) or have your credit report tarnished by her actions.
There is no middle-ground in these cases otherwise it would be easy to run up a bill and shout "it wasn't me, honest!".0 -
Don’t mess about, call the police and report it no matter what. If you don’t she will do it again and again and this will impact your ability to obtain credit. Good luck.0
-
I'm a Board Guide on the Credit Cards, Loans, Credit Files & Ratings boards. I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly, and I can move and merge threads there. Any views are mine and not the official line of moneysavingexpert.com0
-
Hi JMorris93 and welcome to MSE,
Unfortunately, only inaccurate information can be removed from your credit file. So, if you want to raise the issue with the catalogue that this information is incorrect, they will want to know why. I am afraid the other posters are correct, that they will only normally launch a fraud investigation if you have a reference number from Action Fraud. Without this, it is unlikely the creditor will investigation the fraud issue.
If you choose to accept liability for this, then you have some options. If you can pay it in full, then that will help your file improve. Don't worry about your score, future lenders do not see this, they only see your credit history. If you are able to settle a debt in full, then the status will change from outstanding default to settled. Whilst this won't improve your rating immediately, it will make it easier to improve over time.
You could also consider having a CIFAS alert on your credit file. This will require future lenders to do additional checks when you apply for credit, to prevent further issues of fraud. But please be aware that there can be a charge for this.
Laura
@natdebtlineWe work as money advisers for National Debtline and have specific permission from MSE to post to try to help those in debt. Read more information on National Debtline in MSE's Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help guide. If you find you're struggling with debt and need further help try our online advice tool My Money Steps0 -
Hi everyone
I’ve recently discovered my mother has opened a catalogue account in my name as her credit rating is too poor to do so and has racked up about £400 worth of debt with them. She has missed a number of payments resulting in them sending a final warning letter which is how I found out. I am saving for a house deposit and this has severely affected my credit score and I was wondering if anybody knew if it was possible to address this without going to the police? Thanks in advance
Do you and your mother live at the same address?
Quite a few years ago i know someone who was in a similar situation and they contacted the Catalogue company to simply say they saw an account on their credit file at an old address. They then provided a tenancy agreement to prove that they lived somewhere else. The account was closed and their mother got away with just over £100 of free clothes. They were told they would report and investigate the fraud but as far as i know nothing ever happened and their mother got away with it.
Personally i think it's unfortunate that she was never reported and she never even had to pay the money back.
Personally i think you should report your mother to the police she obviously doesn't think much of you if she will happily get your into debt. But you could try this method if you don't live together.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343K Banking & Borrowing
- 250K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.6K Spending & Discounts
- 235.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 607.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173K Life & Family
- 247.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards