Identity theft
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Discussion

LosingGrip

Original Poster:

8,596 posts

181 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2024
quotequote all
My sister and mum had a visit from the police earlier today. They attended a concern for welfare at an address a couple of miles away from home.

At the address were the following documents.

Passport expired in 2017.
Original birth certificate (changed their name a few times since!).
GCS3 certificates (original we think).
Medical card (which i didn’t know existed and mum said has never left the house).
Letter with gcse results.
DBS certificate (which i don’t ever remember getting).

The address is one we have never lived at (ironically the site is an old police station!). The people at the address we have no connection to. Its block of flats is a social housing place.

My sister tried to get a phone contract recently and was declined so now we are concerned about any ID theft.

It's been a while since I've dealt with anything fraud related at work so a bit lost!

Is there anything we can do to check her details aren't being used.

MrsMiggins

2,867 posts

257 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2024
quotequote all
I think signing up with the credit reference services should be first. Transunion, Equifax, Experian are the 3 I think.

That way you can see what's going on and take steps to correct any dodgy business.

ETA: information commissioner has a page telling you what to do

https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/identity-theft/

Edited by MrsMiggins on Wednesday 3rd January 17:18

Jamescrs

5,779 posts

87 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2024
quotequote all
Clearscore is quite a good app for looking at all your credit history and current financial agreements and bank accounts. I use it myself

Gareth79

8,672 posts

268 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2024
quotequote all
Jamescrs said:
Clearscore is quite a good app for looking at all your credit history and current financial agreements and bank accounts. I use it myself
The MSE page has links to get free (and instant) credit reports from all three - Clearscore gets you Equifax. I'd definitely recommend doing it with all of them, since they need to get as much information as possible:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/check-free...

That said MSE Credit Club is moving from Experian soon (or might already have). You can get a free statutory Experian report directly, but you need to wait for a letter in the post to authenticate.

Either way you want to avoid anything which involves a "free trial" etc, it's all available without that.


LosingGrip

Original Poster:

8,596 posts

181 months

Wednesday 3rd January 2024
quotequote all
Thanks all! Passed it all on.

Its really odd how they've managed to get all the stuff!