Has anyone you know been the victim of Identity Fraud?

Question

This crime has increased by 500% in the past 12mths.
Average losses were 3000 pounds per person.
So always destroy your Bank Statements and ATM Receipts.

Fortunately the British Banks often refund monies stolen from you in this way.

Answer 1

Yes, a year and a half ago, my boss found he had lots of costs on his credit card that he did not spend himself, 7 days later I found that I had the same on my bank account, except Barclays didn't tell me for 3 days, so it allowed about an extra £800 to be taken out in the time that they posted the letter to me. The following week my husband had the same happen to him, but Nat West were very good to him. When Barclays eventually sent me a new debit card, which was supposed to be signed for on delivery, the courier left it on the hall floor. One of my neighbours clearly went off and had a spending spree, a further £800 went out - and Barclays treated me like a criminal! I closed my account that year following that experience.

We are actually very careful with our letters and documents and have always disposed of them carefully and shred them. The biggest problems is Royal Mail - leaving mail on hall floors and delivering to the wrong addresses and also employing gang members who steal your mail from within the system - a big problem in London and it leaves you open to having your details stolen. Secondly criminal gangs who have plants in the various shops/bars etc that you use - don't ever, ever let your card go out of view - they will skim it and then take your money.

So a lot of the problem is banks and mail companies using shoddy services and also allowing them to be infiltrated by criminal gangs.

Answer 2

Yes, me! My identity was stolen when I applied for an in-store charge card. They were taking the details at the front of the shop and handing them to corrupt employees at the back of the shop. Imagine my surprise when I found out later that I had 'purchased' £2500 worth of computer equipment. Imagine even more surprise when I discovered a chap on his mobile standing outside my house ready to receive the goods being delivered to my home a few days later. If it wasn't for the vigilance of the on line Internet shop sales person he would have walked off with a new laptop. Given that we ended up knowing so much about this particular scam and some of the people involved, I'd be interested to know just why the police weren't interested in following it up...

Answer 3

I'm a victim of identity theft. My husband bought poker chips online. Lo and behold, two days later someone used our credit card information to buy a MAC computer and a couple of things from an electronics store. Thankfully, the Loss Management team from my bank was really helpful. They've issued me new cards and reimbursed the money within 48hrs. They've also kept watch on my account and kept in touch with me several times to make sure my purchases are really my own.

Answer 4

Yes, the neighbours across the road from my parents' moved out and this woman and her son moved in. About 9 months later, the woman did a moonlight flit. Our dog then ran off and we found it in this neighbour's back garden, eating something or other. When we looked through the windows, as you do, they had stripped the house of EVERYTHING - kitchen, boiler, light fittings, skirtingboards, central heating, the lot.

The original couple came round about a week after that looking for this woman. It turned out she had got hold of a bank statement and an electric bill for them then set up accounts and credit cards, HP etc in their name then ran off without paying and the original couple only found out they were blacklisted when a bailiff traced them to their new address and knocked on the door.

So it doesn't only happen with people putting their statements unshredded in the bin. It also happens when some filthy lowlife thief moves into your house after you and you haven't changed your address with the bank and utilities just before you move.

Answer 5

Yes. I have A Philippine friend who hasn't been in the Philippines for several years. She found her Visa card being used all over the Philippines. In a couple of months she had some minor problem with a card, and was so happy that when she called, the call center was in her homeland. I informed her , that that is how her Personal information got stolen. The *@#*! Card company outsourcing was responsible for the theft. Do you feel safe that your personnel information is handled in third world countries like India and Philippines, where the legal system isn't that good???

Answer 6

Yep last year I cheaked my bank account to find that i had been buying £200 worth of ladies panties and other femine undergarments. Then I apparetly ran over to the other side of Glasgow and bought a new leather jacket. Then i bought £50 of floor cleaner from an online store.

Luckily the bank of scotland was quick to refund my money and issue new card.

Incidently this was my debit card not my credit card.

Answer 7

Yes, a former lodger of mine stole my identity while living under my roof and took out 6 credit cards in my name! After all the trauma of months waiting for it to go to court, the perputrator was sent to jail for 4 years - was out in two - and all debts were wiped. A more fitting punishment would have been for him to be made to pay it all back. As for all the anguish and worry suffered by me, I was in no way compensated for it, and even after the debts were wiped, i was treated like a criminal by a certain money lender who refused to believe i was the victim! I had to prove my innocence all over again. It's all wrong.

Answer 8

Yes. A customer cancelled a booking with me recently because he had just discovered he had been a victim of identity fraud and his bank account had been cleaned out.

He was utterly distraught. It's a horrid crime.

Answer 9

Yep. I was.
But the person quickly gave up my stuff when they realized there had to be an easier way to get their hands on 39 bux.

Answer 10

not only have i been done for 2k both my parents have been done three times! each time taking 3k a lot of it on internet poker. my girlfriend has now just been done as well taking her over her overdraft so she is now over 2k in the red. How the hell do they do it? is it just a coincidence that the whole family has been done?