Is this identity theft?
Discussion
Hi all, I have used PH as a reference resource for years but finally signed up as I have a question I thought people may be able to help with.
I idly googled myself the other day (I know) to see what employers would find as this has recently become more likely.
When I Google my two initials and surname in quotes, a la "AN Other" the only hits are for Companies House, Companycheck and the like for a company in a nearby town calling itself AN OTHER LIMITED.
My surname, though British, is pretty unusual and the lack of other Google hits suggests there isn't really anyone else with my two initials and surname. The director's name is nothing like AN Other and is also obviously continental.
Has he done anything wrong? It just seems strange that the only Google hits for my name as it appears on my bank cards etc are suffixed with LIMITED and have nothing to do with me!
Sorry for the long-winded post, hope it makes sense and I'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts.
I idly googled myself the other day (I know) to see what employers would find as this has recently become more likely.
When I Google my two initials and surname in quotes, a la "AN Other" the only hits are for Companies House, Companycheck and the like for a company in a nearby town calling itself AN OTHER LIMITED.
My surname, though British, is pretty unusual and the lack of other Google hits suggests there isn't really anyone else with my two initials and surname. The director's name is nothing like AN Other and is also obviously continental.
Has he done anything wrong? It just seems strange that the only Google hits for my name as it appears on my bank cards etc are suffixed with LIMITED and have nothing to do with me!
Sorry for the long-winded post, hope it makes sense and I'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts.
unless someone is setting out to use your identity then it is not identity theft...
using 'your name' for a company is not identity theft
unless you have a trademark protecting it then it is not your intellectual property and there is nothing to stop someone using it for a business - equally they could change their name to match yours by deed poll - we don't own our names / combination of initials and names...
identity theft would have to be a human pretending to be you and using your name and other details such as address / d.o.b. etc to make a more unique combination - name alone is not considered unique, even though you may be the only one with that name...
Also - by registering on Companies House they are demonstrating that they are not you by registering as a director in their normal name...
using 'your name' for a company is not identity theft
unless you have a trademark protecting it then it is not your intellectual property and there is nothing to stop someone using it for a business - equally they could change their name to match yours by deed poll - we don't own our names / combination of initials and names...
identity theft would have to be a human pretending to be you and using your name and other details such as address / d.o.b. etc to make a more unique combination - name alone is not considered unique, even though you may be the only one with that name...
Also - by registering on Companies House they are demonstrating that they are not you by registering as a director in their normal name...
Assuming uniqueness in a name should never be a given.
A former business partner was born in Austria to Austrian parents who moved to the UK when he was a year old when they anglicised their family name from something like Straubuchen to Starbuck. An unusual name in Austria and an even more unusual one on the UK in the late 50s. He's since discovered several with same first and last name, all purely by chance.
As others have said, at the moment nothing appears wrong or illegal - though a little weird.
You need to watch what the business does. Passing Off is when they pretend to be you and is illegal. Even if that is not the intent, you could suffer reputational damage if they indulge in dodgy practices.
A former business partner was born in Austria to Austrian parents who moved to the UK when he was a year old when they anglicised their family name from something like Straubuchen to Starbuck. An unusual name in Austria and an even more unusual one on the UK in the late 50s. He's since discovered several with same first and last name, all purely by chance.
As others have said, at the moment nothing appears wrong or illegal - though a little weird.
You need to watch what the business does. Passing Off is when they pretend to be you and is illegal. Even if that is not the intent, you could suffer reputational damage if they indulge in dodgy practices.
Many thanks all for taking the time to respond and sorry for the clickbaity thread title.
I realize it's not identity theft as such and that I don't necessarily have have exclusive rights to my name, especially if not used for trading
The Director is listed as having no other directorships just one former one with an unrelated name and stated area of business.
Sorry if I come across as paranoid or self-important I just find it a bit unsettling that he has chosen a combination of initials and surname that, to the best of my googling, is unique to me. I am not at all high profile, in fact my almost nonexistent online profile makes me wonder how he came across my name. I don't believe it is a coincidence due to rarity of surname and apparent uniqueness in conjunction with my initials.
I had considered writing a letter enquiring about the name, though the director seems to hail from a country known for OCGs so not sure now!
Setting up a company with his initials and surname is an intriguing prospect but also worries me for the same reason.
I realize it's not identity theft as such and that I don't necessarily have have exclusive rights to my name, especially if not used for trading
The Director is listed as having no other directorships just one former one with an unrelated name and stated area of business.
Sorry if I come across as paranoid or self-important I just find it a bit unsettling that he has chosen a combination of initials and surname that, to the best of my googling, is unique to me. I am not at all high profile, in fact my almost nonexistent online profile makes me wonder how he came across my name. I don't believe it is a coincidence due to rarity of surname and apparent uniqueness in conjunction with my initials.
I had considered writing a letter enquiring about the name, though the director seems to hail from a country known for OCGs so not sure now!
Setting up a company with his initials and surname is an intriguing prospect but also worries me for the same reason.
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