What are the implications of identity theft for insurance fraud?

[hightail]

My very elderly father sold his large house around six years ago and moved into sheltered housing/assisted living in the same village. 

I also live in that village. 

The buyers of his property still put mail for him through my door or hand it to our postie to do so. 

 

Recently we've had a spate of mail, addressed to my father at that old address from Hastings Direct. 

This has included various requests for information, a black box thingy and now demands for money for unpaid premiums. 

It's pretty obvious someone has taken out motor insurance in his name at his old address.

 

At every stage, after every letter, he has phoned the company and explained the situation but they do nothing. 

I know if we didn't live in a village with an old fashioned postie we wouldn't even know this was happening but we do and it worries me. 

 

We're up to the point where they're threatening DCAs which I know aren't a problem

but I'm damned if I'm going to see his credit file trashed because insurance companies don't care about such fraud. 

 

Where can we go to ensure Hastings Direct sort this out?

[dx100uk]

is it on his credit file?

 

dx

 

[hightail]

Not yet DX but as we can't seem to stop it progressing I have a fear that's where it's going to end up.  Hastings Direct seem to think it's amusing, they're very pleasant on the phone but the situation continues to escalate.

 

editing to add:  I don't know what further implications there may be and that worries me too.

Edited October 5, 2019 by hightail

[unclebulgaria67]

Perhaps your father sends a GDPR subject access request to Head of compliance/Data Protection officer at Hastings Insurance. Explains that he now lives in sheltered housing and it appears someone has tried taking out Insurance in his name using post that has gone to an old address.

 

Think your father has a right to see what data Hastings have processed, as it appears to be his data, even though he was not involved in any dealings with Hastings.

 

Given age of your father, sounds like the person taking out the Insurance has not given your fathers date of birth, as black boxes are mostly for young drivers. So only name and address may have been given. Which begs the question, as to why Hastings basic checks failed to realise there was an issue when policy was purchased.

[hightail]

Spot on UB.  My father’s date of birth is the only thing which causes whoever he speaks to at Hastings to eventually believe what he’s telling them.  

 

Each time, each phone call leaves him believing it’s sorted - and then the next letter arrives.  

 

Unfortunately he gave his current address to them last time because they want their black box back and are sending a prepaid bag.  

 

It seemed a reasonable request to an old man but I have no faith they won’t just ‘update their records’.

[BazzaS]

The SAR may reveal what age was stated for the driver, even if a precise date of birth wasn’t given. So much the better if they took a date of birth (or driver number, from which DofB can be derived).

 

Send them (in the pre-paid envelope):

a) a print out of this thread

b) a printed pic of a black box (since it is a bit like the black box they want back, but with a different source [address] to the one they sent out / and different date of birth)

 

Hopefully that will get the message across....

Edited October 6, 2019 by BazzaS

[unclebulgaria67]

Given that this driver who took out Insurance using false details may now be driving around without Insurance, perhaps Hastings should be making a Police report. 

 

This is on the basis that they may have given a correct number plate, but could not afford Insurance based on their true details.

 

Hastings may still be receiving data from the black box and if so the Police could be given this information. 

 

Suggest this to Hastings, when you write to them.

[hightail]

1 hour ago, unclebulgaria67 said:

Hastings may still be receiving data from the black box and if so the Police could be given this information. 

The black box is sitting on my father's desk because it came to him by Royal Mail.  I presume insurance documents went by email to whoever took out the insurance in his name which is how they get away with doing this.

 

Edited October 6, 2019 by hightail

[hightail]

1 hour ago, unclebulgaria67 said:

Given that this driver who took out Insurance using false details may now be driving around without Insurance, perhaps Hastings should be making a Police report. 

They don't seem to care one little bit.  I thought insurers were hot on fraud but it seems only when someone is making a false claim.

[dx100uk]

its very common 

I've had it twice in the last 10yrs.

 

last time after repeated calls and webchat....I killed it by sending the CEO an email with scans of the docs etc.

and said if I heard from AA insurance again i'd sue them for harassment.

 

got £100 out of them. as a sorry.

 

dx