tracing debtors

[crazyinlove]

if a debtor moves house how are they traced and what actions are taken when they are found to be at the new address

[PGH7447]

Electoral roll for one, the actions will continue from where they left off, ie nasty threat-o-grams etc.

 

Depends on what action the OC and/or DCA have carried out in the meantime

[cashins]

Hi

 

Various methods, legal and illegal.

 

Voters role, credit reference agencies, (if you are paying anyone or apply for anything from the new address, land registry, phone calls, letters to your old address, old neighbours and anyone associated with you, CIAS, Gone Away, Cifas.

 

If they get a hit, they will chase you for it, if they get a 'likely' they will do that too. All else fails they can go on a phishing expidition.

 

David

[JonCris]

It all goes onto the CRA's GAIN (gone away) data base. Even requesting your credit file can prompt an unwelcome response

 

They even link you to anyone with a similar name living in the vicinity of your previous default address which is the reason why there are so many complaints these days about them demanding money from people who have never had credit in their lives.

 

Some consumers who owe nothing have actually paid to get them off their backs

[JonCris]

There are even web based 'broker's offering non status loans who are not actual brokers but who's sole purpose is to get you to complete their application form in order to compare you to the GAIN data base.

 

Needless to say you get rejected but they have you personal details

 

They are sharing your data with or without you knowledge

 

A clue is to look for their credit licence & if they only have Data Protection Act authorisation & no OFT that's a dead give away

[JonCris]

192.com is a great favourite

[cashins]

A clue is to look for their credit licence & if they only have Data Protection Act authorisation & no OFT that's a dead give away

 

Learn a little more every day. Nice one Jon!

 

David

[UnmoderatetheNet]

Although I agree with what has been said above you have to understand that since the tightening of the Data Protection Act in 1998 has brought excessive constraints the tracers' work.

 

The percentage I’m told used to be 70% chance to catch debtors. Now the figure is much more like 40 per cent.

 

There are over 1,500 tracing agents working in the UK. Agents typically work on a ‘no-trace, no fee’ basis for £30-£50. They range from inhouse DCA's to a single man or woman sitting at home with a telephone.

Classic legal methods include searching the electoral register, door-knocking, and ‘the sting’: leaving a fictitious parcel delivery slip at the person's last known address.

 

Although anyone who holds confidential personal information - including GPs, banks, utilities or phone companies - are standard prey for unprincipled tracers, the two main targets are the Inland Revenue and Benefits Agencies. They've been aware of this for some time.

 

The Information Commissioner has in the last 18 months become very interested in tracers, I quote.

 

“Some tracing agencies earn their livelihood by operating outside the law. They deceive organisations into disclosing information which they know they are not entitled to, and then sell that information on to their clients. I am prepared to use all the powers available to me under the Data Protection Act 1998 to challenge and deter such behaviour.”

 

Says Alec Owen, senior investigating officer at the Information Commissioner's Office “It's like going into a forest looking for one squirrel and seeing hundreds running around. There's not one part of the UK where we haven't found illegal obtaining of information,”. The commissioner is responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act - a central tenet of which is the need to protect confidential personal information - and has the power to bring prosecutions.

 

He says “All they (the tracers) need is a business card, a bit of nerve and the telephone number of every benefit office in the country”, says Owens. The companies that employ them, often including well-known high street financial chains, generally couldn't or wouldn't be aware of the methods they use to find their errant customers,”.

 

Okay so if you’ve been traced and they have used questionable methods and broken the law that means prison or a large fine.

 

Where does that leave your debt. Unenforceable I’d say

[JonCris]

So Unmod what your actually saying is that the Data Protection Act has been useless as has merely provoked an increase in illegal activity.

 

The reason I say this is because in your 1st para you state how the Act has led to restriction but then go one to describe the many ways it's circumvented by these tracing agents

 

Conclusion

The Data Protection Act is merely a cloak of regulation introduced to please the masses. Until they start jailing or heavily fining some people I'll go along with that

[UnmoderatetheNet]

You misunderstand.

 

Tracing debtors success rate prior to 1998 70%

 

Tracing debtors success rate post 1998 40-50%

 

Data protection laws are working and are forcing the lapdogs of the DCA into extinction.

 

People have been jailed.

 

Three tracers in bradford were jailed for using the IR to obtain information.

 

Technology has also decreased success rates as have security measures put in place for telephone banking.

 

Try to ring a bank and pretend to be someone else even with an account number, DOB and sort code, see how far it gets you

[sweep1]

Personally I would say that there is a mixed view as to if DPR laws do work, in my experience DPR laws have favoured Debt Tracers due to the sharing of info, rather than restricting it.

 

I don`t work for a debt tracer, I`m just aware that too many companies "work around" the law rather than within it

[JonCris]

Of course they do & they massage the figures to make it look as if the regulation is working. They are hardly going to admit to illegal activity are they

[crazyinlove]

thanks for the responses

i dont have a bank acc nor any ills in my name ive never applyed for credit didnt get on with my neighours so they have no idea where i am and my name is different on the electoral role... can they trace through sposes?

our old house was in my fiances name with the telephone ill in my name could they link the 2? its been 4 years now

[UnmoderatetheNet]

Well then it's easy if you think you've been traced and illegal methods have used then question it.

 

At the end of the day you don't speak to anyone on the phone who does not introduce themselves or you shouldn't if you have any sense and never answer any letter that drops on your doormat with anything other than i do not acknowledge this debt.

 

what exactly can they do?

 

They have to prove it's you and that is extremely difficult if not impossible without resorting to lies, blagging and deception.

 

Someone else also posted on here that tracers are constantly doing 'bum traces' ie a tarce that has not been confirmed.

[JonCris]

thanks for the responses

i dont have a bank acc nor any ills in my name ive never applyed for credit didnt get on with my neighours so they have no idea where i am and my name is different on the electoral role... can they trace through sposes?

our old house was in my fiances name with the telephone ill in my name could they link the 2? its been 4 years now

 

Wot! never applied for credit............. then why are you concerned about them finding you & for that matter why would they be looking??

[Guest forgottenone]

Hi, Crazyinlove. Bit puzzled here so help me out? Thought you mentioned about having a debt Wednesday night of ... think it was a substantial amount on a phone bill? Some replied, including myself.

 

As to how you can be found. I suppose that may depend where and also what kind of area you live in. Wouldn't put it past a DCA or their agent to slip a £5 or £50 to someone to get them to 'spy' on you. Just a side of human nature I would think gets exploited. Sadly.

Edited May 23, 2008 by forgottenone

[rogermeard]

I had a neighbour come round a while back saying a "Ian" from Glasgow had rung them looking for us as he was a family friend and lost my number, he wanted to know if we were still living there. No surprises what that call was..........DCA. How illegal is that phoning someone in my street who is not Ex Dircetory. It was embarassing.

[JonCris]

Please advise what's the debt for & how much & how old

[renegotiation]

Just thought i'd chuck this in, as it might help someone reading this thread. The best way to keep your phone number private is to change it, make it ex-directory and only give it to family and friends. Use the eztra broadband line (made ex-deirectory too) for companies etc.. Register with the TPS as well. It has worked a treat for us. All the misery we suffered is fading VERY SLOWLY, but fading. Phew. If you have an old PAYG mobile then (after putting it on silent) give that number to the DCA's. It might keep them happy leaving messages and they may not even attempt to trace your real number. Just give it a monthly charge or something. As other people have said, some elements of the tracing world will sink to murky depths to get hold of your details.

[crazyinlove]

a telephone bill from 2004 £1000

[PI Guy]

An interesting thread. Part of what I do is tracing and our success rate is good BUT we never use any illegal methods and do not operate a "no trace, no fee" service.

 

Our customers tend to be private clients and solicitors. DCA's tend to have "in-house" tracers.

[JonCris]

In that case PI perhaps you would like to tell us what lawful methods you do use

[renegotiation]

In that case PI perhaps you would like to tell us what lawful methods you do use

 

Here here! Don't be a shyster now. ;)

[PI Guy]

The methods used depend on the reason for the trace.

 

I will tell you the methods that we don't use. Any methods that are in breach of the Data Protection Act. If you look at our website, then you would see that we are registered with the DPA, have a CCL, only use other agents that use DPA compliant methods.

 

While I'm sure that there are unscrupulous agents out there, the vast majority of us are ethical in our methods and operate within the law.

[renegotiation]

One can never talk for others my friend.