Bad credit report, but not my fault.

[tudorwin]

Hi please help; I have been a member of check my file for about 6 months, & my credit rating was pretty good up until a week ago.

From about 5 years ago, until last week sometime, my mortgage my loan & my 4 credit cards were all up to date & marked OK.

At the end of 2007 I moved abroad for 3 years, but kept my house here in the UK, leaving it empty, but returning a couple of times each year, to visit my grown up children & grandchildren.

 

The problem is one of my children opened up 3 mail order catalogues accounts at their address (not mine) while I was abroad, using my name, date of birth & details, but registered to their address.

 

I had no idea they had done this until last week. When 3 black default notices appeared on my credit report linked to their address, under my name. Where incidentally I have never lived.

 

These black marks on my record where first registered about 4 years ago, but have only just showed up being linked to my address last week.

I have read somewhere I need to get a crime number from the police to distance myself from these fraudulent credit applications/defaults. But obviously I cannot do that I would not & could not drop my daughter in trouble with the police. Despite her destroying my good credit record.

 

All three debts amount to about £1,000 which I could pay off provided I can track down the original mail order companies, If I got in touch & explained what has happened, I am guessing they would be happy to take my money & mark it satisfied or settled but I am guessing the black marks would remain on my record until they drop off in a couple of years.

 

Also I am guessing it won’t be long before debt collectors are banging on my door.

Any help or advice any of you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Edited April 26, 2013 by citizenB
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[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi, difficult and delicate problem, ok what companies show on your credit files as the owners of these debts?

You should place notices of dispute on the CRA files BUT this should be done via the actual CRAs Experian,

Equifax and Call Credit, these agencies like CMF use ''2nd hand data'' imo unreliable at times.

 

As these debts are not listed on your own address you can state that you do not no ever have been resident at

the address shown on the accounts.

 

Other than paying the debts which will NOT get the CRA entries removed until the default expires as you

say is to report the fraud.

[tudorwin]

Thank you Brigadier, the only one that that seems to be owned is by Cabot, which they have registered it here at my current address, but I know , it was at my daughters address not here at my home address, can i get this changed.

The other 2 are registered at her address but linked to my address.

What is cmf.

How do I state I have never been resident at these addresses, & how do I prove. it. years ago when they used to stamp your passport in & out of the country I may have been able to but not now, although I may be able to produce bills & bank statements for the time I was abroad proving I was not even in the UK but do I really want to give these parasites any more info about me.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I can understand your feelings here, CMF = Check My File.

This needs some thought and consideration on the facts and the best way of dealing with this, currently I feel your daughter may have to take some responsibility for her actions, but please let me think on this for a while and I will try to find some way of dealing with it.

[tudorwin]

Thank you Brigadier

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thank you Brigadier

 

Please let us know the out come.

[tudorwin]

Hi Brigadier, Any more thoughts on removing these defaults, If i contact the CRA's & tell them I have never lived at the 2 addresses linked to me, would they just contact the police & tell them there had been a fraudulent application for credit.There by sending trouble to my daughters door.

One of the debts owned by cabot is registered to me in my name here at my home address, but from a letter my daughter has now given me was sent to her address in 2010, so I can prove this debt was not from here as cabot state on my credit report.

[tudorwin]

My credit report links me to some of my old addresses one of which I moved from in 1999 can I ask them to remove it.& how many years after i moved should an old address link stay on my record.

[reallymadwoman]

I think a first step is to get the credit reference agencies to disassociate your address from that of your daughter. To do this you need to write to each one stating that you have never lived at the associated address and the credit accounts are nothing to do with you. There is no need to tell them that your daughter lives at the other address or any other information. They may remove the association immediately or they may refuse but they would have to give a reason which might give us the next step. They will not contact the police.

 

You also need to state that the Cabot account registered to your address is nothing to do with you. The CRAs should then write to Cabot and ask them if the information is accurate, which of course they will say it is. Your options then are to write direct to Cabot asking for proof that the debt is yours and when they supply copies of the paperwork you can then point out that you have never lived at the address from which the account was opened and were in fact living abroad at the time. At this point they should remove the account from your records. It is remotely possible that Cabot will then go to the police to report a fraud, but really really really unlikely.

 

Remember at no time during this correspondence (and please do everything in writing and use a signature which you would instantly recognise if it was 'photoshopped' onto any documents, I put a line right through the middle of mine) should you volunteer any information which you could not know from what is on your credit file, i.e. you have never lived at the linked address and the accounts were not opened by you.

 

There is absolutely no point just paying the accounts since that will not remove the defaults.

[tudorwin]

Thank you reallymadwoman

My credit report links me to some of my old addresses one of which I moved from in 1999 can I also ask them to remove it.& how many years after i moved should an old address link stay on my record.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Yes you can demand that the address is removed I would have expected it to have been gone in2005!

[tudorwin]

Thank you Brigadier, the links to my old addresses & the links to my daughters house were onl put on there last week. but i will write to all the CRA/s & demand they be removed. many thanks.

PS Where would i find the links to the CRA's postal addresses, & should I post them recorded.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thank you Brigadier, the links to my old addresses & the links to my daughters house were onl put on there last week. but i will write to all the CRA/s & demand they be removed. many thanks.

PS Where would i find the links to the CRA's postal addresses, & should I post them recorded.

 

think the addresses are online, yes best sent recorded!

[tudorwin]

Hi please help; I have been a member of check my file for about 6 months, & my credit rating was pretty good up until a week ago.

From about 5 years ago, until last week sometime, my mortgage my loan & my 4 credit cards were all up to date & marked OK.

At the end of 2007 I moved abroad for 3 years, but kept my house here in the UK, leaving it empty, but returning a couple of times each year, to visit my grown up children & grandchildren.

 

The problem is one of my children opened up 3 mail order catalogues accounts at their address (not mine) while I was abroad, using my name, date of birth & details, but registered to their address.

 

I had no idea they had done this until last week. When 3 black default notices appeared on my credit report linked to their address, under my name. Where incidentally I have never lived.

 

These black marks on my record where first registered about 4 years ago, but have only just showed up being linked to my address last week.

I have read somewhere I need to get a crime number from the police to distance myself from these fraudulent credit applications/defaults. But obviously I cannot do that I would not & could not drop my daughter in trouble with the police. Despite her destroying my good credit record.

 

All three debts amount to about £1,000 which I could pay off provided I can track down the original mail order companies, If I got in touch & explained what has happened, I am guessing they would be happy to take my money & mark it satisfied or settled but I am guessing the black marks would remain on my record until they drop off in a couple of years.

 

Also I am guessing it won’t be long before debt collectors are banging on my door.

Any help or advice any of you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

 

I have just had a letter from Lowell portfolio, demanding £600 odd pounds. from one of the mail order catalog company's addressed to me at my home address, this is not my debt.

Should I write directly to them, telling them this is not my debt.

[reallymadwoman]

Yes, tell them it's nothing to do with you. They 'should' then investigate, but probably won't. If/when they write again we can decide on the next step.

 

Don't worry about templates - best to use your own words and keep it simple. It wouldn't hurt to add a line that it has recently come to your attention that a number of accounts were opened in your name but from an address you've never lived at whilst you were actually living abroad. Remember not to volunteer any other information they don't already have and remember to use a distinctive signature.

[tudorwin]

Thank you reallymadwoman.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

A Notice of disassociation should be sent to the DATA CONTROLLERs of each CRA DCA or creditor.

[GBOND21]

I was the victim of a vicious assault in 2007 finally resulting in 3 operations to correct broken wrist and final operation was a full wrist joint replacement. I fell behind on creditor payments as I was only receiving Sick pay. Resulting in Defaulting on several Creditors. My case was settled in 2012 and even though I advised my Solicitor at the time they are refusing to look into this. With an acceptance of Liability from the defendant surely my credit file should be removed of all Adverse Credit during this time? Anybody got any advice.

 

(I'm already going to complain to the Law Council about my claim only being 50% completed)

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Very nasty indeed, but I can't see creditors removing the defaults because of this.

[Peterbard]

Very nasty indeed, but I can't see creditors removing the defaults because of this.

 

No sadly, the creditors will have to record the actual payment history, if you have subsequently paid up the accounts they should mark them as settled, but any defaults will remain on your file for six years.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

The defendant cannot be liable for your credit file entries.

[tudorwin]

Hello again,

I have had a reply from Lowell portfolio, stating they have been in touch with Shop Direct, who have checked their records & confirmed that they have no record of any claims of fraud being raised with them previously.

Lowell portfolio also say in their letter. "There were also regular payments made towards the account via Maestro/Solo card throughout 2008".

The letter also says "due to the information provided shop direct will not be treating the account as fraudulent & you would remain liable for the full balance".

QUESTION. should I write to to either shop direct or Lowell portfolio or both. Asking for proof of these Maestro/solo card payments, Which would then show clearly that these payments were made not by me but buy my daughter who has a different name.

& from a different address. which as i have said before I have never lived at.

I am wondering if a letter directly to Shop direct telling the whole truth would help or just make things worse.

Thank you in advance of your help.

[Old Cogger]

Demand proof of payments, and could mention i.e. copy to FSA,

 

might freighten them into action?

[tudorwin]

Demand proof of payments, and could mention i.e. copy to FSA,

 

might freighten them into action?

Thank you MIKE770 Shoud I write to Lowell portfolio or Shop direct or both.

[Old Cogger]

If it was me Both!

 

as regards FSA just write that after signature, gives them the idea that you may have contacted FSA and the action requested be taken. if you have trouble from them the a complaint later to ICO may be in order, we shall see.