Debts not mine - ID theft?
Discussion
Morning all,
Last weekend I received a letter from BW Legal, stating that I owed £300 to sky. Having spoken to a helpful guy there, we established the details of the debt and determined it absolutely couldn’t be mine. E.g. £100+ for Sky Q that I’ve never had. We also identified an address, two phone numbers, and a likely fake email linked to the debt up in Scotland (the email name is the same as my name - very very common).
I never received any correspondence from sky regarding a debt before this debt collection letter.
Initially I thought ID Theft. Actin fraud wont help as the address is in Scotland, neither would Merseyside police as it’s “a Scottish crime”, then neither would Scottish police as I reside I English, then eventually Merseyside police agreed to help. I’m now a week down the line as a result.
I have a crime reference number, however Merseyside police need me to get sky to investigate.
Despite me having 3 separate reference numbers on correspondence from BW Legal, and JC Int Acquisitions who bought the debt from sky and sold it to BW, Sky are refusing to investigate or even open a complaint as I can’t provide them with the original account number associated with the debt. I have asked the debt collection agency for this but they don’t know it.
When I asked to speak to a supervisor at the sky number, they hung up on me, twice. After spending about 3 hours on the phone in total.
I’m now stuck.
Next steps - speak to CIAS? In theory I have to log a complaint first.
I’ve always paid my debts, have a perfect record, and I’m due to remortgage soon. Suddenly I have this debt associated with me, quite far down the line, that I never accrued. Needless to say I’m not happy about it.
Any advice is hugely appreciated as no one official seems to want to help.
Last weekend I received a letter from BW Legal, stating that I owed £300 to sky. Having spoken to a helpful guy there, we established the details of the debt and determined it absolutely couldn’t be mine. E.g. £100+ for Sky Q that I’ve never had. We also identified an address, two phone numbers, and a likely fake email linked to the debt up in Scotland (the email name is the same as my name - very very common).
I never received any correspondence from sky regarding a debt before this debt collection letter.
Initially I thought ID Theft. Actin fraud wont help as the address is in Scotland, neither would Merseyside police as it’s “a Scottish crime”, then neither would Scottish police as I reside I English, then eventually Merseyside police agreed to help. I’m now a week down the line as a result.
I have a crime reference number, however Merseyside police need me to get sky to investigate.
Despite me having 3 separate reference numbers on correspondence from BW Legal, and JC Int Acquisitions who bought the debt from sky and sold it to BW, Sky are refusing to investigate or even open a complaint as I can’t provide them with the original account number associated with the debt. I have asked the debt collection agency for this but they don’t know it.
When I asked to speak to a supervisor at the sky number, they hung up on me, twice. After spending about 3 hours on the phone in total.
I’m now stuck.
Next steps - speak to CIAS? In theory I have to log a complaint first.
I’ve always paid my debts, have a perfect record, and I’m due to remortgage soon. Suddenly I have this debt associated with me, quite far down the line, that I never accrued. Needless to say I’m not happy about it.
Any advice is hugely appreciated as no one official seems to want to help.
Firstly, sorry to hear this and I hope you can get it resolved asap.
Is it not more likely that the tracing exercise the debt recovery company has done has incorrectly identified you as the individual rather than the similarly named individual in Scotland?
I would email dp@sky.uk to get a data subject access request. This plays out two ways - either it includes your data and therefore the information about the debt that has been assigned to you, or they say they hold no data which proves that it can't be your debt.
Also ask the dp team to pass the content of your email to the sky fraud and legal teams. Highlight your issue and give a fixed date for reply (14 days) note that it has been raised with the police as suspected fraud.
At the same time, you should be asking the recovery company to confirm it is certain it has traced you correctly.
Is it not more likely that the tracing exercise the debt recovery company has done has incorrectly identified you as the individual rather than the similarly named individual in Scotland?
I would email dp@sky.uk to get a data subject access request. This plays out two ways - either it includes your data and therefore the information about the debt that has been assigned to you, or they say they hold no data which proves that it can't be your debt.
Also ask the dp team to pass the content of your email to the sky fraud and legal teams. Highlight your issue and give a fixed date for reply (14 days) note that it has been raised with the police as suspected fraud.
At the same time, you should be asking the recovery company to confirm it is certain it has traced you correctly.
elanfan said:
You seem to be determined to investigate it. Waste of time. Just deny the debt and move on.
This. There are proforma letters you can download that are essentially "not my debt. If you think it is my debt, prove it".Check the number you rang them on isn't a premium rate one, and make a note of any personal info you gave them in case it comes back against you (these debt collection agencies are fishing for information to try and pin the debt on someone.)
Thanks all,
I was trying to investigate it as both BW and M police were pushing me to do so.
Having spoken again to BW they agreed it’s a likely mistrace due to how common my name is - they’ve taken the CRN anyway but are going to retrace the debt. Apparently if I don’t hear from them again I can forget about it.
I asked if I’d receive notice of this in writing, but apparently not, as this would then make me a third party link or something, which makes me feel uncomfortable, but there we are.
Thanks everyone for the quick responses, good to know this is the better route to go down.
I was trying to investigate it as both BW and M police were pushing me to do so.
Having spoken again to BW they agreed it’s a likely mistrace due to how common my name is - they’ve taken the CRN anyway but are going to retrace the debt. Apparently if I don’t hear from them again I can forget about it.
I asked if I’d receive notice of this in writing, but apparently not, as this would then make me a third party link or something, which makes me feel uncomfortable, but there we are.
Thanks everyone for the quick responses, good to know this is the better route to go down.
I have similar going on at the moment. Not at all concerned they can enforce it against me because they have zero evidence that it is my debt.
But by the time I heard about the debt it had already gone on my credit file, which is probably going to be a pain to sort out. Hope your credit score hasn't been affected OP.
But by the time I heard about the debt it had already gone on my credit file, which is probably going to be a pain to sort out. Hope your credit score hasn't been affected OP.
I had a letter from them chasing me for some debt relating to energy bills .
We sold a house, told Eon the meter reading and closed the account. New owner was a landlord and didn’t register, his tenant did later so there was a gap.
Ignored it. They appear to buy debts and then chase them from anyone remotely connected to it.
We sold a house, told Eon the meter reading and closed the account. New owner was a landlord and didn’t register, his tenant did later so there was a gap.
Ignored it. They appear to buy debts and then chase them from anyone remotely connected to it.
I, too, am in a similar situation. In late 2013, we sold our house in the UK and moved to Spain. For various reasons, we decided to move back to the UK in 2021. Had to re-establish banking and the whole lot. Opened a current account and credit card account with a well-known bank and all's fine.
Now, fast forward about a month. I received an email from the bank telling me they are reducing my credit limit. A quick call to find out why and I am told there are two Capital One credit card accounts that have defaulted. Get a copy of my credit report and sure enough, the two cards are credit cards opened in 2014 and there were some payments made for about a year and then an increase in the credit limit and then no more payments.
I call Capital One and speak with them and I am told the cards are mine. They insist since the cards were opened using our old address and payments were made the cards have to be mine. I ask how I could open a card when I live in Spain and there is dead silence. Now I am in a situation where I have to prove a negative, that is, I didn't live in the UK. Get bank account records, electric bills and forward them to Capital One.
A week goes by and I get a reply stating the cards are absolutely mine. I ask to see the evidence of their decision and I am told they can't give me that information but I can pay the outstanding balance!
That's about as far as I have gotten. The accounts can only be reported from 6 years, so that is next year, we paid cash for a house when we moved back, my Amex transferred from Spain, so we really don't need any more credit. However, for me it is the principle of the thing. I guess I am debating calling a solicitor and moving forward on that or just rolling over and let the reporting expire.
Thoughts???
Now, fast forward about a month. I received an email from the bank telling me they are reducing my credit limit. A quick call to find out why and I am told there are two Capital One credit card accounts that have defaulted. Get a copy of my credit report and sure enough, the two cards are credit cards opened in 2014 and there were some payments made for about a year and then an increase in the credit limit and then no more payments.
I call Capital One and speak with them and I am told the cards are mine. They insist since the cards were opened using our old address and payments were made the cards have to be mine. I ask how I could open a card when I live in Spain and there is dead silence. Now I am in a situation where I have to prove a negative, that is, I didn't live in the UK. Get bank account records, electric bills and forward them to Capital One.
A week goes by and I get a reply stating the cards are absolutely mine. I ask to see the evidence of their decision and I am told they can't give me that information but I can pay the outstanding balance!
That's about as far as I have gotten. The accounts can only be reported from 6 years, so that is next year, we paid cash for a house when we moved back, my Amex transferred from Spain, so we really don't need any more credit. However, for me it is the principle of the thing. I guess I am debating calling a solicitor and moving forward on that or just rolling over and let the reporting expire.
Thoughts???
Sky one, write to the complaints department ask them to investigate and ask for vouchers as a good will gesture due to time wasted on this, if they refuse, raise a complaint with OFCOM, it will cost the money
Credit Card, do as above if you get nowhere raise a dispute with the FCA
With both keep copies of letters sent, I no longer talk to anyone to do with things like this as I find writing is much more effective.
Doing this I have got £600 of 02 over an account set up, low payments asked to cancel they wrote back saying not their issue, relaised 3 months later they hadn't canceled as my request. rewrote threatening OFCOM got the money back and paid withing 7 days,
Also £300 from Natwest over overdraft issues.
Always write in!
Credit Card, do as above if you get nowhere raise a dispute with the FCA
With both keep copies of letters sent, I no longer talk to anyone to do with things like this as I find writing is much more effective.
Doing this I have got £600 of 02 over an account set up, low payments asked to cancel they wrote back saying not their issue, relaised 3 months later they hadn't canceled as my request. rewrote threatening OFCOM got the money back and paid withing 7 days,
Also £300 from Natwest over overdraft issues.
Always write in!
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