fraud in my name

[MrJuice]

So I get two letters today advising me about my new virgin media accounts. I have nothing to do with VM and both are frauds carried out in my name. They quote incorrect bank details but my name and address are right

I just spent ten minutes on hold to find out the fraud dept closes at 7. Should I bother telling them tomorrow or just leave it?

I really am pushed for time and can't be bothered with staying on hold for identity fraud when I'm not out of pocket.

[Jim1556]

MrJuice said:

So I get two letters today advising me about my new virgin media accounts. I have nothing to do with VM and both are frauds carried out in my name. They quote incorrect bank details but my name and address are right

I just spent ten minutes on hold to find out the fraud dept closes at 7. Should I bother telling them tomorrow or just leave it?

I really am pushed for time and can't be bothered with staying on hold for identity fraud when I'm not out of pocket.

Send them an email inviting them to call you for your stated reasons. Quite reasonable I think.

[williaa68]

Be bothered, please. No matter how much of a pain this is now it is nothing compared to what may be to come. A utility bill, of which some firms may consider VM, can be a step to a larger fraud. Do what you need to with Virgin and consider adding a CIFAS warning to your credit files. You may find you have identity theft protection through your household contents insurance - we did and the people that LV put us onto were very helpful when the !Mrs was targeted about five years ago.

[Bigends]

I'd report to Action fraud via their website

[BlueMeganeII]

And check your credit files/reports as soon as possible.

[T0nup]

Ignore at your peril. If you aren't out of pocket now, you will be. Fraudsters don't use someone elses name and address just for the sake of it.

[eybic]

You may well get some more letters. My Mrs had someone get/ try to get 3 or 4 iPhones and a Rolex on Finance. As others have said, be bothered or you could be liable.

[Snails]

MrJuice said:

So I get two letters today advising me about my new virgin media accounts. I have nothing to do with VM and both are frauds carried out in my name. They quote incorrect bank details but my name and address are right

I just spent ten minutes on hold to find out the fraud dept closes at 7. Should I bother telling them tomorrow or just leave it?

I really am pushed for time and can't be bothered with staying on hold for identity fraud when I'm not out of pocket.

It hasn't cost you any money yet, but image it will b easier to sort now than it will be when there is an unpaid bill and they are chasing you for payment.

[aw51 121565]

At the GP Surgeries I have worked at, a utility bill was acceptable as one form of evidence of name and address of a person wishing to register as a new patient there.

Not everyone in this country is entitled to the NHS services that most of us enjoy, but use of this VM bill (once the billpayer has changed his/her address from the OP's to suit their own needs) along with the use of another false form of ID (such as a false passport or driving licence ) will - when presented at a GP's surgery - allow the person to be registered at that GP surgery under false pretences. (If a person isn't on the NHS national systems, it's very easy to register them 'from scratch' .)

This is another slant on the potential issues that could potentially lead from this fraud, and is (I would cynically suggest) part of the process an 'illegal' has to follow to become established here in the UK (should they wish to do it 'properly' and not just scratting about without healthcare etc).

Personally, I'd rather not have a doppleganger .

[turbobloke]

As per existing comments there's every reason to contact VM fraud department asap, get a CIFAS password so nobody else will be able to get credit in your name, look at balances to see if all is OK, and check your credit report online as well since there may be other accounts these people have opened or 'test' purchases but using a different address. Even if there are no transactions, merely having a credit file association with some address locations is bad news e.g. there may be CCJs.

[JustinP1]

MrJuice said:

I really am pushed for time and can't be bothered with staying on hold for identity fraud when I'm not out of pocket.

If the bill's not paid, you'll get adverse credit registered against you within two months.

If someone gets a utility bill, with a single fake ID such as a driving licence, they can get credit in your name.

This will only mean you are not out of pocket if you never need to use credit. If you have adverse credit on your record when it's time to remortgage, and you end up stuck, then the result will be very costly.

Nip it in the bud.

[toxgobbler]

Register with CIFAS as well, it helps in these cases.

[All that jazz]

Be careful involving CIFAS. In theory they are supposed to help you but in reality what it equates to is an automatic decline on any application for finance/bank accounts/mortgages etc as the banks/credit companies can't be arsed with the hassle of finding out the circumstances behind the CIFAS marker placed on your credit file.

[Eclassy]

All that jazz said:

Be careful involving CIFAS. In theory they are supposed to help you but in reality what it equates to is an automatic decline on any application for finance/bank accounts/mortgages etc as the banks/credit companies can't be arsed with the hassle of finding out the circumstances behind the CIFAS marker placed on your credit file.

In theory it shouldnt equate to an automatic decline, it should mean extra checks to prevent fraud.

I think its bad advice to say not to use CIFAS. It will be an incovenience for a year but it means anyine trying to obtain credit in your name should fail.

I had my identity stolen earlier this year and I immediately registered for CIFAS service. The companies that had been scammed also later registered a category 2 CIFAS warning to my file. Better that than letting the scammers carryvon unchecked.

Strange thing is the missus also registered for CIFAS but no extra checks were carried out when she went to buy a phone on contract a couple months later. No ID requested, just £1 debited from a debit card and that was it. Left me a bit disappointed with the CIFAS scheme.

[turbobloke]

All that jazz said:

Be careful involving CIFAS. In theory they are supposed to help you but in reality what it equates to is an automatic decline on any application for finance/bank accounts/mortgages etc as the banks/credit companies can't be arsed with the hassle of finding out the circumstances behind the CIFAS marker placed on your credit file.

The only circumstances I can comment on are those based on personal experience - after an episode of identity theft was nipped in the bud, a CIFAS password was recommended so that with or without a real/false address or fake document, a loan or whatever else would not be agreed with anyone not aware of the password. Once a fake address was removed from files and the password was in place, the next time around everything worked smoothly with no problems from any quarter. The fact that the password was asked for was reassuring in itself.

[williaa68]

turbobloke said:

The only circumstances I can comment on are those based on personal experience - after an episode of identity theft was nipped in the bud, a CIFAS password was recommended so that with or without a real/false address or fake document, a loan or whatever else would not be agreed with anyone not aware of the password. Once a fake address was removed from files and the password was in place, the next time around everything worked smoothly with no problems from any quarter. The fact that the password was asked for was reassuring in itself.

Endorsed100%. Putting that CIFAS warning on the wife's account caught all sorts of stuff in our case and was never an inconvenience. The only time it was was when we moved an ISA and the new ISA company clearly didn't have much experience but it was a small price to pay.

[JB8]

All that jazz said:

Be careful involving CIFAS. In theory they are supposed to help you but in reality what it equates to is an automatic decline on any application for finance/bank accounts/mortgages etc as the banks/credit companies can't be arsed with the hassle of finding out the circumstances behind the CIFAS marker placed on your credit file.

This is comple bullst.

If you have a CIFAS protective registration it will refer any applications for validation. Every CIFAS referral has to be looked at by an actual person, ie underwriter or fraud team and not declined based on the CIFAS data alone.

Once the app is verified as genuine, it will be underwritten as normal and then accepted or declined.

Declining a victim of impersonation fraud automatically is strictly against the CIFAS rules, which all lenders have to adhear to.

[All that jazz]

JB8 said:

All that jazz said:

Be careful involving CIFAS. In theory they are supposed to help you but in reality what it equates to is an automatic decline on any application for finance/bank accounts/mortgages etc as the banks/credit companies can't be arsed with the hassle of finding out the circumstances behind the CIFAS marker placed on your credit file.

This is comple bullst.

If you have a CIFAS protective registration it will refer any applications for validation. Every CIFAS referral has to be looked at by an actual person, ie underwriter or fraud team and not declined based on the CIFAS data alone.

Once the app is verified as genuine, it will be underwritten as normal and then accepted or declined.

Declining a victim of impersonation fraud automatically is strictly against the CIFAS rules, which all lenders have to adhear to.

Apart from your first line, everything you say is of course correct and I'm well aware of this. However the reality is very different and I can assure you that some banks will auto-decline certain CIFAS categories which should be referred to the underwriters/fraud squad. I know this first hand from working closely with those departments when I was at HSBC and it went on to a lesser extent with Midland Bank even before that. If you think that the other banks aren't doing same then it'd be fair to say that you're rather naive. Personally I don't care either way; I made the post as it may be helpful to some members in understanding the reasons for an app decline in those circumstances. Take it or leave it.

[MrJuice]

I'm the OP and the fraud turned out to be bigger than expected. Someone took out some debenhams store cards (provided by a company called NewDay) and spent about £800. Nothing huge. Now there is something else with someone at my address being chased for an unpaid insurance bill. That person is called, let's say, Felix Karr. My name is, let's say, Fred Karr. So same initials..

So, tell me about cifas. when new day wrote to me to confirm that they won't be holding me responsible for the debenhams card fraud, they enclosed a leaflet about cifas. this leaflet made no sense to me. It sepaks about three different credit agencies and not much about how they can help you.

What steps should I take to protect myself now?

Sorry for appearing to come across as a lazy st by getting PH (instead of google) to answer my question...I just don't know where to start.

[MrJuice]

I see that cifas has a £20 joining fee. Is this a one off fee? and if I join cifas, does that they, most likely, protect me against these opportunist type frauds?