Someone used my wife's details to insure a car & they won't
Discussion
I will try.
However, it wasn't easy talking to them today.
It was a constant "Sorry, we can't give out any info." again and again and again.
Looking on Experian it was all done on the 22nd, policy started then, cancelled then and letter sent out to us same day.
I see that the email used to log into comparethemarket has been compromised so many times over the years. As in databreached with so many different websites. From MyFitnessPal through to Houzz and dozens more, so could have been info emails and passwords stolen years ago or last week.
However, it wasn't easy talking to them today.
It was a constant "Sorry, we can't give out any info." again and again and again.
Looking on Experian it was all done on the 22nd, policy started then, cancelled then and letter sent out to us same day.
I see that the email used to log into comparethemarket has been compromised so many times over the years. As in databreached with so many different websites. From MyFitnessPal through to Houzz and dozens more, so could have been info emails and passwords stolen years ago or last week.
The same thing happened to a close relative and I helped him clear up the mess, as he got three speeding tickets from two different counties.
The insurance was taken out with a different insurer, but like your own situation they cancelled the cover after the first Police force contacted them. The policy was taken out over the internet and the email address was not his. No payment was ever taken from his bank, so a stolen cars was probably used. We never heard the outcome of the investigation though.
Action fraud have an online form, if I recall correctly, so look for that as you get a reference/record of contact , but little else from them. But, it was definitely worth doing, as we had something to show the traffic camera operators. So don't listen to anyone claiming its is a waste of time.
In my relatives case, we realised that his details were available on the companies house website, so that is probably where they got his name and address.
But, it could easily be a planning request or parish council newsletter, if they are saved online.
EU_Foreigner said:
Just on that point above, it is very strange that on companies house you have all the details available to anyone, including DOB and full name and address.
It sure makes it easy to setup a cloned ID as that is usually all the security questions answered for general applications.
Don't think it gives the full DOB just month and year.It sure makes it easy to setup a cloned ID as that is usually all the security questions answered for general applications.
Cat
The fraud in these situations is often done by ‘insurance broker’ scams for young people in london...
Your dodgy ‘insurance broker’ puts out on social media that he can get under 21s insured for under £500.
He insures the car, but using your wife’s details. She’s not based in London and is low risk, They often like to use addresses in devon.
They get payment from the duped youngster wanting cheaper insurance, and the youngster can go on ASK MID and see the car is insured. They’d be sent fake documents though.
The youngster tells his mates, the scammer does as many as possible before they’re found out.
The youngsters think they’re insured, but they aren’t.
Phoenix and repeat.
Your dodgy ‘insurance broker’ puts out on social media that he can get under 21s insured for under £500.
He insures the car, but using your wife’s details. She’s not based in London and is low risk, They often like to use addresses in devon.
They get payment from the duped youngster wanting cheaper insurance, and the youngster can go on ASK MID and see the car is insured. They’d be sent fake documents though.
The youngster tells his mates, the scammer does as many as possible before they’re found out.
The youngsters think they’re insured, but they aren’t.
Phoenix and repeat.
We have something similar with our house. Every year, in September, we get a renewal notice through for two doctors (i.e., they're Mr & Mrs but the letter is titled "Dr & Dr). We've been there 10 years and I also know that the doctors were at least not the people we bought from who had owned the house for several years themselves. Older neighbours seem to vaguely recall the name but think they emigrated.
For the first few years I put a RTS and re-posted it. Still got them, so in the end I opened one. It has their full details, their bank details, all sorts in it. The insurance company are taking basically 200% of what I pay for lesser insurance (ie I have several expensive separate items named). I called the insurance company who "can't do anything because I'm not the policy holder" (kind of a given). I called the bank, to ask whether they might just alert their customer that they are £500 worse off every year, but no, they won't do that. I asked around locally and then did an extensive search for the good doctors online. The name is quite individual and I found someone matching that in the north west, so I wrote a good old fashioned letter to him, explained who I was and how he could verify that, if he thought I was a scammer, but got no response.
I think I tried hard enough. They just go in the bin now. At least there won't be any claims in my name, albeit they could register against the house I guess, but it seems there is no more I can do about that.
For the first few years I put a RTS and re-posted it. Still got them, so in the end I opened one. It has their full details, their bank details, all sorts in it. The insurance company are taking basically 200% of what I pay for lesser insurance (ie I have several expensive separate items named). I called the insurance company who "can't do anything because I'm not the policy holder" (kind of a given). I called the bank, to ask whether they might just alert their customer that they are £500 worse off every year, but no, they won't do that. I asked around locally and then did an extensive search for the good doctors online. The name is quite individual and I found someone matching that in the north west, so I wrote a good old fashioned letter to him, explained who I was and how he could verify that, if he thought I was a scammer, but got no response.
I think I tried hard enough. They just go in the bin now. At least there won't be any claims in my name, albeit they could register against the house I guess, but it seems there is no more I can do about that.
Olas said:
simple solution is to have wifey ring up and cancel.
The policy was already cancelled. They knew it was fraudulent, they sent us a letter to say it had been cancelled, and if it was us that tried to set it up please get in touch because the car is not insured. You would think a phone call would be a good idea, but then I suppose they may have been ringing the fraudster?
They seemed to think it really was a non issue "happens all the time" but I wish they would have just answered a few basic questions to put our minds at rest, and data protection for someone who has stolen identity is, imho, crazy.
I asked "If I give you our account number can you just confirm it wasn't the one you had, so we know our bank details haven't been compromised?"
"I'm afraid we can't share that info."
"Could you tell me what the car and reg was for the car that is set up in my name?"
"I'm afraid we can't share that info."
"Was the agreement done through comparethemarket?"
"I'm afraid we can't share that info."
It was like the time Sky got solicitors and then bailiffs onto me for someone who lived next door. No matter how many phone calls I made explaining that they lived next door they didn't want to know and kept saying they couldn't discuss it with me as they could only talk to the account holder.
The couple next door had moved to Cape Town some 7 years previously, they cancelled Sky, Sky continued to take payments from their UK account.
The couple sent their bank the letter they had received from Sky saying the account had been cancelled and all monies owed had been taken. They then continued to take £80 a month for the next 7 years or so, which the bank recalled when the neighbour sent them proof it should not have been taken.
Sky chased them for the money saying they still had an account and now owed 7 years worth of payments.
I tried to explain to Sky that they lived in Cape Town, were Swiss anyway and were never coming back to the UK and that they couldn't talk to them as the number for Sky back then could only be called from within the UK. Give me a number for them to call you on from overseas? We don't have one.
It took the bailiffs to turn up, me show them all correspondence and within 3 minutes say "Typical Sky, idiots. Forget about it, we will sort it for you."
But up to this point went on for months and months, probably a year and a half and 50+ phone calls, and was really affecting my credit score towards the end.
sospan said:
Your wife needs to contact them again. She needs to ask if they will record this as a cancelled or declined insurance as this affects her future insurance policies.
Also ask if their investigations department are investigating it as they would do initial investigations and pass on any evidence to police if they found enough.
This, very much this.Also ask if their investigations department are investigating it as they would do initial investigations and pass on any evidence to police if they found enough.
Accidents can be ignored after 5 years or so, but "have you ever had insurance cancelled" is for life. Just imagine the gleeful rubbing of hands if you have to answer "Yes" to that one, they can legitimately charge you whatever they like.
MKnight702 said:
This, very much this.
Accidents can be ignored after 5 years or so, but "have you ever had insurance cancelled" is for life. Just imagine the gleeful rubbing of hands if you have to answer "Yes" to that one, they can legitimately charge you whatever they like.
Umm, no the OP's wife would be able to say no, she has never had a policy cancelled. She hasn't, someone else has. Accidents can be ignored after 5 years or so, but "have you ever had insurance cancelled" is for life. Just imagine the gleeful rubbing of hands if you have to answer "Yes" to that one, they can legitimately charge you whatever they like.
Cold said:
MKnight702 said:
This, very much this.
Accidents can be ignored after 5 years or so, but "have you ever had insurance cancelled" is for life. Just imagine the gleeful rubbing of hands if you have to answer "Yes" to that one, they can legitimately charge you whatever they like.
Umm, no the OP's wife would be able to say no, she has never had a policy cancelled. She hasn't, someone else has. Accidents can be ignored after 5 years or so, but "have you ever had insurance cancelled" is for life. Just imagine the gleeful rubbing of hands if you have to answer "Yes" to that one, they can legitimately charge you whatever they like.
My faith in these companies is not as great as yours. Say they put a not on file to the effect, how long until this note is archived, or say they move to another insurance provider, will the notes be available to them? What happens if the person who deals with the case leaves or is hit by the proverbial bus, all that will be left is the fact that insurance was cancelled.
Happened to me a couple of years ago - someone of a culturally enriching background set up a policy on an RX7 in my name (with only my name correct, birthdate wrong, occupation wrong) with themselves as a named driver. They basically can then get away without pinging ANPR for no insurance for a week or so. Got a load of parking and speeding tickets through - although they hadn't registered the car what happens is that tickets then go to the insured.
It was easy enough to sort - I called the insurer who instantly canceled the policy, and then rang a copper at Hyde (I think) regarding one of the speeding tickets who was mega helpful and he sorted out all the tickets for me - even the ones that were in another police authority area.
It was easy enough to sort - I called the insurer who instantly canceled the policy, and then rang a copper at Hyde (I think) regarding one of the speeding tickets who was mega helpful and he sorted out all the tickets for me - even the ones that were in another police authority area.
Alucidnation said:
If the policy has been cancelled, what is it you are wanting to achieve?
As I said in the op. gizlaroc said:
Anyway, just thought I would mention it.
It was more to see if I needed to do anything else or if anyone had this happen to them. Got some good useful replies.
Edited by gizlaroc on Tuesday 25th February 15:58
I had this happen to me too. #metoo...
Again complete refusal to tell me any details about what car it was (I have several...) just to say that could I confirm that I hadn't taken out the policy. Data protection crap being the stock answer...
Come to think of it, it might have been Admiral as well?
Again complete refusal to tell me any details about what car it was (I have several...) just to say that could I confirm that I hadn't taken out the policy. Data protection crap being the stock answer...
Come to think of it, it might have been Admiral as well?
1- on comparison sites , first set up a disposable e mail address. Then when filling in the form, and asked for a phone number- use 01234567890 . Apologies to someone in Bedford, but it works. Then if you find a quote you like, phone them and correct the e mail address and phone number.
[quote=Who me ?]1- on comparison sites , first set up a disposable e mail address. Then when filling in the form, and asked for a phone number- use 01234567890 . Apologies to someone in Bedford, but it works. Then if you find a quote you like, phone them and correct the e mail address and phone number.
[/quote]
...and make sure you haven't accidentally opted to receive marketing emails from their carefully selected partners.
I get a couple of emails with quotes from each comparison site, and nothing else.
[/quote]
...and make sure you haven't accidentally opted to receive marketing emails from their carefully selected partners.
I get a couple of emails with quotes from each comparison site, and nothing else.
https://www.guerrillamail.com/ Is good for stuff like getting quotes that require an email address. If you do get a quote you like then generally it will have a quote reference number so you can use that to refer to it.
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