MORE secret fraud prevention agencies?

[nobbyblobby]

Who the chuff are Retail Decisions UK Ltd and HNC Software Inc?

[citizenB]

No Idea, has someone contacted you from either or ?

[nobbyblobby]

HSBC have written to me and told me they use them for fraud prevention. I wrote to warn them that Barclays had incorrectly registered an N Hunter record against me and it was included in they reply.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Card fraud investigations reference service for the retail sector. e.g. apply for a store card in store with immediate access to credit R. D Uk will be contacted.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

HCN I believe produce Loan/Credit servicing software to the retail sector.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Nothing secret, underhand here, card fraud costs the retail sector in the UK millions of pounds a year so it is not surprising that companies like this are working with retailers, if this was not happening the costs of credit would be far higher even than they are now!

[nobbyblobby]

Obviously I don't begrudge HSBC or anyone from protecting themselves or the consumer from inflated interest rates!

 

My concern is the growing number of companies that hold and process my data without my knowledge or permission (I understand that HSBC's Ts and Cs will imply permission but it should be more accessible in the public domain which companies are involved).

[nobbyblobby]

If it were more commonly known, it would surely act as a deterrent.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

You are on any credit application authorising these checks, if you refuse to allow such checks to me made no credit app will ever succeed .

[nobbyblobby]

Yeah I just said that with the 'implied permission/Ts and Cs' bit.

 

I'm not saying institutions should just take a risk on applications and chuck interest rates up, or that anyone should wothhold permission.

 

I'm saying that I feel it should be known to each and every consumer who is processing their data and why. I also feel that the information should be offered BEFORE it is processed.

 

Obviously I feel that law enforcement and tax authorities should be exempted.

[stockport6]

HSBC have written to me and told me they use them for fraud prevention. I wrote to warn them that Barclays had incorrectly registered an N Hunter record against me and it was included in they reply.

 

Have you managed to get the incorrect record removed from your Files. I have an issue at the moment where i am getting flooded with letters for debts that are not mine. I have always checked my Experian and Equifax files but had not been able to get access to the Callcredit and Noddle one.. I did that this week and I have about 40 incorrect entries on the files including an IVA at an address i have never lived at. very disturbing, I have a VERY common name and it looks like i have someone or more than one other persons records mixed in with mine

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Not all of the 'data' shown on the so called 'secret agencies'

can be seen as wrong or inappropriate, the us of any agency for 'fraud protection' is good in my opinion!

[nobbyblobby]

I don't really like the use of inverted commas or the phrase 'so-called' in this instance.

 

It is data and if the presence and use of the agencies are withheld, then they are secret.

 

The use of the inverted commas and 'so-called' seem to indicate that you don't believe the information that they process to be data and that you don't believe the agencies to be secret.

 

As I've said, I don't object to the agencies per se. I object to companies I've never heard of keeping, processing and sharing my data. I don't think that's unusual or unreasonable.

 

As I've found out, it's not always reliable either. Synectics lost my data and CIFAS wrote back to the wrong person in their reply to me.

 

If the data integrity and accuracy was guaranteed, I'd be much happier, but it's not. If you aren't aware of them, you can't police them. People know about Experian, Equifax and Callcredit and (I estimate) thousands of corrections are made every day. My partner has just found out that her Electoral roll is at the wrong address on equifax and has been since 2005 - if secretive companies are making these mistakes, how do we know? How do we correct them?

 

I don't like how these companies operate. I appreciate they have a purpose and I approve wholeheartedly of the prevention of fraud. Third party fraud has affected me big time and still does today, so anything that combats that is brilliant in my book.

 

BUT - and it's a big but - people should know who has their data, processes their data and shares their data. This isn't me talking - it's the ICO. They may freely reveal what they hold when SARed, but if nobody knows about them, no SARs will be served.

 

I don't know if you're playing Devil's Advocate or if you really think it's fair for companies to keep, process and share your data without your knowledge.

 

Honestly Brig, I've said it before - I respect so much of what you say but I can't see where you're coming from on this one.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

The existence of such agencies is in the public domain, and any is entitled to enquire of a creditor/supplier or whoever as to where they share or report data.

 

It would be difficult to be aware of all the systems, inter-company data sharing etc.,

 

The whole business community as varied as it is in the 21st Century, Agencies exist for just about every contingency I work with many professional very few are known to the general public and these organisations generally are there for the protection of the populace at large, preventing fraud, counterfeit goods and the like that cost businesses countless of millions of pounds.

 

The Government shares every ones data, the banks and finance companies, mobile phone providers, utility companies to name but a few.

 

I'm afraid this is part of every day life now.