Attempted Finance Fraud - What To Do Next?

[SJfW]

Received a call this morning from a retail finance company who I have previously had finance through, they wanted to verify a recent application in my name.

There was an application made for finance in my name but they had flagged it as the occupation & employer didn’t match my previous, the bank account for payments was different and contact details weren’t a match. The bank account on the application wasn’t for one of my accounts thankfully.

So the application has been killed and they’ve put a marker on me which should require extra checks for any other applications, but my concern remains, they successfully entered my name, DoB and home address.

What can I do here to be pro-active rather than waiting and hoping none are successful?

I’ve seen that I can add a notice of correction password to my credit file, is this something that needs doing with each individual credit reference agency?

[Deesee]

Register for CIFAS..

[Stella Tortoise]

Sign up to a credit reference agency such as Credit Karma, you will receive monthly updates of searches/applications

[number2]

Firstly, the checks in place stopped it going through.

That's a good thing, so although a worry, it didn't happen.

Your name, dob and address are very basic details, there's not much you can do outside of not deliberately publishing them!

I don't think you need to worry any more than the next person, but keeping an eye on your credit file (as per previous poster suggests) is a good idea.

[alock]

SJfW said:

Received a call this morning from a retail finance company who I have previously had finance through, they wanted to verify a recent application in my name.

This is often a scam in itself.

When they phone you they won't share details without a "security clearance". Giving them that info is the start of the scam.

I hope you took what details you could, and phoned them back on a phone number available on their website, or your previous paperwork.

[SJfW]

alock said:

SJfW said:

Received a call this morning from a retail finance company who I have previously had finance through, they wanted to verify a recent application in my name.

This is often a scam in itself.

When they phone you they won't share details without a "security clearance". Giving them that info is the start of the scam.

I hope you took what details you could, and phoned them back on a phone number available on their website, or your previous paperwork.

I gave them no information. Just confirmed it was me speaking, she was able to relay details about my previous finance agreement, didn’t ask me for any information or to confirm anything beyond I hadn’t made the application.

I did then wonder, was that actually the scam and they just wanted to verify details so called the company back on the customer services number listed on their website and they confirmed the original call.

[EdmondDantes]

If it’s happen with one provider it’s going to happen with many.

Get a credit report ASAP and any searches you haven’t done contact the providers to let them know.

Did the finance company confirm they would be loading the fraudulent application details to Cifas?

Do you have an external mailbox? are you a director on Companies House?

Edited by EdmondDantes on Friday 10th March 21:17

[SJfW]

EdmondDantes said:

If it’s happen with one provider it’s going to happen with many.

Get a credit report ASAP and any searches you haven’t done contact the providers to let them know.

Did the finance company confirm they would be loading the fraudulent application details to Cifas?

Do you have an external mailbox? are you a director on Companies House?

They said they would be sending details out in writing and passing on to CIFAS. I’m going to complete a protective registration myself anyway.

I don’t have an external mailbox but I am listed with companies house.

[Simpo Two]

alock said:

SJfW said:

Received a call this morning from a retail finance company who I have previously had finance through, they wanted to verify a recent application in my name.

This is often a scam in itself.

When they phone you they won't share details without a "security clearance". Giving them that info is the start of the scam.

Though when Shell phone me to sort out a billing problem they want full name, first line of address, postcode, phone number and e-mail address. Unless you tell them you can't proceed. The person knew it was me because we've spoken before, and it's a lousy energy bill not a gold bar. But we have to do it... it must be something to do with company size as small businesses don't need it to talk to you.

[SJfW]

Restarted my full Experian subscription, they’ve been enjoying themselves;
Application for £1,319 loan with Three
2 applications with Barclays for £1,199 a time
Personal loan quote with Mitsubishi capital

[Sheepshanks]

SJfW said:

……but I am listed with companies house.

Is that with your main employer? If so, they wouldn’t have got your employer and occupation wrong, but if not, then that could well be the source.

[thepeoplespal]

I've had a loan taken out in my name by Virgin, and 2 months after 1st flagging this up as fraud I've still got Equifax reporting me as being two months in arrears and having a new loan. You can't get a mortgage if you have these issues so recent. So this fraud is now materially having an effect on my life and it is compounded by Virgin not dealing with it in a timely fashion.

Have had several complaints in and actual compensation from Virgin for their lackadaisical efforts to remedy the situation. I'm a tad upset with them, as I have never been their phones customer and they have obviously not followed their own internal rules and probably FCA rules on knowing the customer.

Possible villains of the piece

Only organisation I'd recently dealt with with my name and address was BackMarket, I was trying to buy a 2nd hand phone, my details were released to seller and the item was up for dispatch, never arrived and when I started chasing up, they cancelled it somehow. When I researched the company behind this I found one of the directors had collapsed a mobile phone firm in The Midlands and was involved in other similar businesses which had negative reviews and a whiff to my mind of fraud. Were Virgin interested in following up this fraud, no they weren't, so others will suffer the same fate.

I've Subject Access requests into Virgin and Equifax as they wouldn't give me some details of the records on me. Virgin are well over time on that request and I was trying to report it as a crime to Action Fraud, but can't as I don't have the full details of the location.

I wonder which of the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) or the FCA it would be worth making a complaint to?

[SJfW]

Only fair to recognise the good guys, V12 Retail Finance. It was them who initially made contact with me last Friday and I had a letter from them less than 24hrs later confirming what action they had taken and that they had logged the incident with Cifas.

By that time I had already paid my money for a protective registration to be put on my name anyway, but no harm doubling up I guess.

A mate recommended checkmyfile.com and I signed up to that as it scans Equifax, Experian & TransUnion with one monthly fee for full access.

Subsequently I’ve been on the phone to the people at very.co.uk as a new store card appeared on my file which I did not open. They confirmed it had been closed and would be removed from my file.

I now need to contact all the other companies for their searches to be removed and confirm accounts weren’t activated.

I know Sarnie said the number doesn’t matter per se in the other thread, but after a good five years of 999, I’m down to 979.

[SJfW]

Sheepshanks said:

SJfW said:

……but I am listed with companies house.

Is that with your main employer? If so, they wouldn’t have got your employer and occupation wrong, but if not, then that could well be the source.

It’s not with my main employer and totally unrelated to my normal occupation.

I have my suspicions over where it came from but with no evidence I would probably just get clobbered by the forum’s name&shame rules.

[EdmondDantes]

The companies will have sent off to have the search’s and accounts removed from your credit file, this is usually done in batches from each organisation and sent off to the credit file agencies, should be back to normal next month.

[SJfW]

Very issue dealt with, multiple letters confirming closure etc. Score briefly back to 999.

Email notification from Experian this morning advising multiple changes impacting my account and new communication accounts with O2.

Logged in to check, as I did change my O2 contract last month, but I didn’t add another one or take out a 36 month loan on a £1300 phone

[Unreal]

thepeoplespal said:

I've had a loan taken out in my name by Virgin, and 2 months after 1st flagging this up as fraud I've still got Equifax reporting me as being two months in arrears and having a new loan. You can't get a mortgage if you have these issues so recent. So this fraud is now materially having an effect on my life and it is compounded by Virgin not dealing with it in a timely fashion.

Have had several complaints in and actual compensation from Virgin for their lackadaisical efforts to remedy the situation. I'm a tad upset with them, as I have never been their phones customer and they have obviously not followed their own internal rules and probably FCA rules on knowing the customer.

Possible villains of the piece

Only organisation I'd recently dealt with with my name and address was BackMarket, I was trying to buy a 2nd hand phone, my details were released to seller and the item was up for dispatch, never arrived and when I started chasing up, they cancelled it somehow. When I researched the company behind this I found one of the directors had collapsed a mobile phone firm in The Midlands and was involved in other similar businesses which had negative reviews and a whiff to my mind of fraud. Were Virgin interested in following up this fraud, no they weren't, so others will suffer the same fate.

I've Subject Access requests into Virgin and Equifax as they wouldn't give me some details of the records on me. Virgin are well over time on that request and I was trying to report it as a crime to Action Fraud, but can't as I don't have the full details of the location.

I wonder which of the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) or the FCA it would be worth making a complaint to?

Bloody annoying for you. Companies seem to be able to post up details at will and then it's a nightmare getting errors expunged. I once had a black mark on my record from a water company. I wasn't aware that paying annually to a water company constituted a credit agreement or something that could feature on a credit report without a court judgment!

I'm sorry I don't have an answer to your question. I'll be interested to hear if anyone can provide advice. My experience was that the company posting the erroneous information have the most power in terms of getting it removed. The agencies hide behind 'it's what we've been told'. A notice of correction is not enough.