Fraud - advice anyone?

[soir]

My mother moved house about 3 years ago. past few months she has been getting many letters from various debt collectors (things like catalogues) all taken out after she moved house.

Now, she has informed each debt collector this & sent proof of when she moved. I got a credit reference report from experian so she knew which ones to inform (if they hadn't traced her already) she has also informed the police who say they will NOT do anything and only each individual debt agency can ask them to investigate.

Basically, is there ANYTHING she can do to prevent these buggers from taking out more debt in her name??

(only lender can get police involved, but people doing this will no doubt try many various lenders and they dont all speak to each other. So is it a case of getting a credit report every month for the rest of her life just to see if another has been added?)

thanks in advance all

[Jinx]

Can't you get the address "divorced" (I think the phrase is disassociation) from the previous occupants?

[speedchick]

If you get in touch with one of the reference agencies (I think it's Equifax?) you arrange to have your borrowing password protected, basically if anyone tries to borrow against your name/previous or new address (or your mum's in this case), it will automatically flag up a password request.... if no password is forthcoming from the potential borrower then no money/goods etc will go to them.

She should also make the refences agencies aware that she has moved and when and they should update her file and allow nothing else against old addresses.

I nwas told this from one of the agencies and a debt collector (was having trouble with debts belonging to previous tennant of a house I lived in)

>> Edited by speedchick on Thursday 2nd March 10:55

[soir]

thanks for the replies.

I've registered her details with one of the credit ref agencies & will inform them of this, but how do you know what other agencies to inform/or how many there are?

[-DeaDLocK-]

There are only three worth mentioning - Equifax, Experian and Call Credit. Perform the same procedure on all of them.

[soir]

-DeaDLocK- said:

There are only three worth mentioning - Equifax, Experian and Call Credit. Perform the same procedure on all of them.

Sorry Deadlock, but what proceedure exactly?

[yorkshire]

Hi,

She will need to register for Protective Registration through CIFAS, this places a password on her credit file, this is done through Equifax, full details here - [url]www.cifas.org.uk/protective_registration.asp[/url]

[soir]

This is such a nightmare, maanaged to get reports from call credit & experien, but equifax asking me questions about certain credit taken out (which she knows nothing about, because someone else has fraudently done it in her name, so no idea which catalogues/credit limits - therefore cannot get report)

this is ridiculuos, surely there is a simple way to check what credit people have taken out in your name?

[Piglet]

Part of your difficulty may be that you are making these enquiries and not your mother. I'm surprised that they are not quoting the Data Protection Act at you when you're asking questions.

If your mum wants you to deal with this sort of thing for her she either needs to send a letter of authorisation to each information provider or possibly more straightforward she needs to enter into an Enduring Power of Attorney which you can then flash in front of each provider. She can limit this to a low financial value if she doesn't trust you!!

[soir]

Piglet said:

Part of your difficulty may be that you are making these enquiries and not your mother. I'm surprised that they are not quoting the Data Protection Act at you when you're asking questions. If your mum wants you to deal with this sort of thing for her she either needs to send a letter of authorisation to each information provider or possibly more straightforward she needs to enter into an Enduring Power of Attorney which you can then flash in front of each provider. She can limit this to a low financial value if she doesn't trust you!!

I'm just pretending to be her, if they refer to me as sir, I point out I'm a laydee'and they soon apologise (I know all mums info anyway) however its the part where they want spcific info on last few credit things - but we dont have this, the fraud person does!!!

[Piglet]

soir said:

Piglet said: stuff about Data Protection I'm just pretending to be her, if they refer to me as sir, I point out I'm a laydee'and they soon apologise (I know all mums info anyway) however its the part where they want spcific info on last few credit things - but we dont have this, the fraud person does!!!

Hmm it's a good job the fraudsters never think of this isn't it!!

[JonRB]

Piglet said:

Hmm it's a good job the fraudsters never think of this isn't it!!

Scary, isn't it? If I phoned up a company to discuss my mum's financial affairs and they actually discussed them with me, my first question would be "why the hell are you talking to me without getting proof of authorisation, you amateurs?"

Some of the blame for identity theft has to lie with companies who have lax security.

>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 3rd March 15:21

[soir]

JonRB said:

Piglet said: Hmm it's a good job the fraudsters never think of this isn't it!! Scary, isn't it? If I phoned up a company to discuss my mum's financial affairs and they actually discussed them with me, my first question would be "why the hell are you talking to me without getting proof of authorisation, you amateurs?" Some of the blame for identity theft has to lie with companies who have lax security. >> Edited by JonRB on Friday 3rd March 15:21

I totally agree, but how is my mum supposed to confirm to them what the credit limit was for say a Next/Grattan account when she never took out the account in the first place (the fraudster did it) and the Cred.Ref.Agy wont allow her to view her own details without answering the question!!