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Zuba
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25-03-2007, 01:18 PM

Help Fraud!!!

I have just got my Experian credit report and on there was two searches done against me for two different catalogues, with the wrong date of birth at an address I left nearly two years ago but the searches were done last year. Worried I phoned Experian who are looking into it, today I try to get my Equifax credit report who ask a series of security questions about current financial commitments you have and to my astonishment it asked me about catalogues:
We're pleased to confirm that Equifax holds information on you at the address you provided. Now we just need to make sure that you are really you. We've developed questions based on information contained in your file that we think only you can answer. Try to answer as many questions as possible so we can automatically verify your identity. If we cannot verify your identity based on your answers and the information provided in Step 1, you can always call us at 0870 010 0583.
Your Equifax credit file indicates that you may have a mail order account.
1. Which one of the following catalogues do you have?
Littlewoods
Grattan (TV Times)
Bennetts Of Sheffield Ltd
Grattan (Young Additions)
None of the above.

2. When did you first place an order?
October 2005 to December 2005
January 2006 to March 2006
April 2006 to June 2006
July 2006 to September 2006
None of the above.
I have never had a catalogue in my life and have not ordered anything from one, yet when I answered none of the above to both questions it came up with a message saying, from our records we are unable to verify who you are due to mis answering the previous questions. Obviously I will call them tomorrow first thing but I am going out of my mind with worry any advice?
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terrier69
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25-03-2007, 07:33 PM
Hi Donna,

All I would say is don't panic until you have rung them to find out exactly what the situation is.

We had something similar a couple of years ago. We had phonecalls wanting to speak to my OH, then we had a letter asking for payment of an account we new nothing about. We rang the number, it was a money collector who put us in contact with the company saying we owed money!!!!

My OH rang them and said we had no idea what they were talking about and all they kept doing was saying 'but are you willing to make a payment this evening?'. He of course said no as we had no idea what they were talking about. They said they couldn't even tell him how much was supposed to have been owed but would put it in a letter.
It was to do with an address we had lived at 18months before. They even said their representative had been to see us at the address the previous month and that we had agreed to make payments!
We tried telling them that we didn't even live there anymore, so how could they have visited us there? but they wouldn't listen.

We knew we didn't owe anything as we had a complete credit check done when we got our 1st mortgage 18months previous to this.

So, we waited for the letter to come to say how much we were supposed to owe. I nearly fainted when it said over £14,000!!!!

I did an experian credit check for my OH. It showed all the accounts we new about, ie mortgage etc, all fully up to date. BUT it did show this company had done a credit check on him, but had no account with us and no explanation as to why they had done the check.

I had to go to our old landlord who wrote a letter to say we didn't live at that address anymore. We also went to citizens advice who suggested what we could write in a letter, mentioning harrassment etc. But they took no notice.
Citizens advice also gave us the name of a local solicitor who did a one off appointment to help in situations like this. I think it cost £50, but they wrote a letter for my OH to send, a very strongly worded letter.... and finally it worked.

Well, it worked in that we got a letter saying they have now dropped the amount owing if we left it at that. Which we did but I am still soooo angry as there is no explanation as to where any of it came from. They must've been in the wrong, to suddenly drop over £14,000, anyone who was genuinely owed this would've at least wanted some... but we have to leave it at that.

It was soooo stressful. I was nursing my Mum through terminal breast cancer at the time (she lived with us) and she was fraught. But it ended ok, not to our satisfaction as we'd love an explanation but ok.

So all I can say, is state the truth. Document everything. Keep records, log phonecalls getting the names of people you speak to. If worse comes to worse speak to citizens advice, etc. But hang in there, and if you need someone to let off steam too, pm me!

I still have ALL the details of everything including the final letter, just in case, as I'm not going through that again!
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Zuba
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25-03-2007, 07:44 PM
Thank you Beckyc

wow £14000 bet you nearly had a heart attack I dread to think whats on mine but I do know that the flat I lived in is empty and the neighbours I had I didn't get on with so it wouldn't surprise me but like you said I can prove I wasn't living there then, geeze if they had any sense they would see I have had a mortgage for nearly 2 years and it isn't for that address I am sure it will get resolved I like you would love to know all the ins and outs of it though, maybe then I can prevent it in the future, though I do know how easy it is to get a catalogue they are always in town asking if I would like one
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terrier69
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25-03-2007, 07:53 PM
Yes its not knowing the ins and outs that is soooo annoying, and I'm like a dog with a bone if something someone is doing is wrong. Which is why it is so frustrating that they can do this without any explanation.

When we rented, about a year before we moved we got letters for someone we didn't know at our address. We often did get these, but they were old tenants and we'd recognise those, but this was a new one. It said they weren't redirectable and private and confidential, so after the third one came I opened it.

It was asking this person, at our address, to ring and confirm receipt of a loan offer. I rang and told them that this person didn't live at this address, and never had. They just apologised and said we wouldn't be bothered anymore, they didn't seem very concerned, and we didn't get anymore letters.

But it does make you wonder.

I would advise everyone to get a credit print out, it only costs £12, especially if you rent, or move frequently.
Get one, check it out, print it and keep it somewhere safe. Its your peace of mind, that everything is just so, and if it does prevent anything like what we've been through then well worth it.
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Zuba
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25-03-2007, 08:18 PM
I know exactly what you mean, we always return to sender any mail not addressed to us and goes to show how great the electoral roll is I am down as living at two addresses probably because someone is claiming credit in my name at my previous address but I shall be on the phone to them tomorrow and finding out why
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leo
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25-03-2007, 10:09 PM
but the thing is you need to be able to prove to them you didn't recieve or use the goods.................
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Zuba
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26-03-2007, 11:37 AM
Originally Posted by leo View Post
but the thing is you need to be able to prove to them you didn't recieve or use the goods.................
I can prove my tenancy ended at that address in Nov 05

Well update spoken to equifax who were wonderful and let me view my account for free Which is where I found out that I owe Littlewoods £937.63 phoned littlewoods who were also wonderful who have frozen the account and say I do not need to prove it wasn't me as they can see clearly that I am on the electoral roll for my current address and have been for over a year and the account with them was opened feb 06. I also asked what I had apparently been buying they said clothes, (none of which my size) shoes, belts to match the shoes a carpet amongst other things All the stuff was delivered to my previous address meaning that the only person with access to it was my downstairs neighbour or my 80 year old landlord somehow me thinks the clothes would not suit him
The police are involved and its going from there got to pop to the station today to give them copies of my credit reports so they can contact littlewoods in order to find out signatures and stuff Hopefully the person was stupid enough to sign with their own name at least once
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terrier69
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26-03-2007, 05:55 PM
I'm so glad Equifax were abe to let you know as much info as possible, as thats the worse bit, not knowing. I'm sure this goes on a lot, with catalogues I mean, so no wonder Littlewoods are being so good.
And rightly so the police are involved.
Its all moving in the right direction
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