Fuckers keep stealing our identity!

[Stickywhitelovepiss]

Posting for traffic...

First every few months, then every month, now twice just this week - someone keeps taking credit cards in our names, registering us for gyms hundreds of miles away, intercepting bank cards and this week contacting DH's mobile phone provider and getting his sim card cancelled and a new one issued!

We've set protective markers on our bank accounts / Experian accounts, and also registered ourselves for protective registration with Cifas - but the attempts still keep getting made and in several cases are successful (we've been refunded each time, but still...).

Has anyone else had the same situation, and what happened please?
I'm thinking through things we could do to protect ourselves further, and any ideas would be much appreciated!

I'm actually really feeling sick now with the thought of what's going on that I don't yet know about....

Thanks anyone out there for your advice.

[BarbaraOcumbungles]

How annoying! Do you have any idea who it is?

[iknowimcoming]

Dh had this as he is a company director and so his details are freely available online, we got a second level of security added to credit checks (a password) so credit checks can't go thru without it, that said we've had one or two since that but on the whole it's stopped it, can you ask about that? Santander are the worst FYI, wouldn't bank with them if you paid me. It got to the stage with them where we got compensation from Santander it happened so often, half the time the name wasn't even spelt correctly!

[Plump82]

I agree. Load a password on all 3 Credit Reference agencies. Experian, Equifax and Callcredit. Even if any applications that are submitted are declined, all companies are legally obliged to confirm your password before declining the application completely.

[SweetMoon]

Is this just random do you think or have you just seriously pissed someone off ?

[Stickywhitelovepiss]

I think just random - fraudsters have their hooks in and know all the information we can't easily change (names, addresses, D.o.B.).

It's a bugger :(

[NeedMoreSleepOrSugar]

My goodness that sounds stressful! How did you find out about the attempts? Are they intercepting your post too? A password I'd definitely a good idea, and off post is going missing, could you set up a redirect for a while? annoying I know, but maybe less so?

[jay55]

Bank cards do collect in branch.
Keep doing all the obvious things. Change all your security questions (make up fake answers, eg mums middle name is spaghetti). Make sure you don’t get bills online and check all statements all the time for test transactions etc.

[iknowimcoming]

When you say intercepting bank cards do you mean getting hold of your genuine ones thru the post or getting new ones fraudulently in your name? If the former I'd speak to the police as that sounds more like a malicious targeted thing rather than regular cybercrime iyswim? But speak to all of your phone providers, banks, credit cards store cards etc and get passwords changed or set up ASAP. And make sure the password is a good one!

[UpstartCrow]

Time to go to the police. Get some advice about stalking, and online security.

[Stickywhitelovepiss]

We've recently discovered that our letterboxes (in a flat) are rubbish, and that you can actually reach in and retrieve mail - so not hard to access. Not sure if anyone in the block has the same issue.

Am looking into PO box and redirection now. Yes, cards intercepted in the post.

Strangely, the activity relates far more to my OH than to me - mine have never been intercepted but he has had it happen at least twice now.

[iknowimcoming]

That's your first port of call then - get the letterboxes sorted out, speak to your landlord or whoever manages the services in the flats and get them replaced - if it's happened to you it's most likely happening to everyone and could result in the block of flats collectively struggling with credit if allowed to continue as the address might get blacklisted eventually.

[iknowimcoming]

And report to the police too

[goldierocks]

Hello OP.... you have my sympathies....

This happens to me on a regular basis. Former abusive spouse, privy to all my personal data. I can't change my DOB or mother's maiden name!

I have a staff bank account/mortgage - I can't just close it get new accounts elsewhere. In fact if I didn't work for the company I bank with, I'd be in an even greater state.

Ex knows my account details and even has payday loans taken out (and paid into) my account without my knowledge. I receive a text alert when anything over £50 is paid into my account - it's such a faff having to find out which company he's used this time, convince them it's not me and send them back the money. He's trashed my credit rating.

I've had numerous attempted deliveries from catalogue companies. I can't blame the delivery drivers but I really hate it when they drop whatever it is without a signature - I have to return it else the bills start coming.

Every month or so I get a wave of 'you have requested to change your password...' emails from all my online accounts after his latest primitive hacking attempts.

I've got the enhanced service from Experian but alas there is very little else I can do. It's been going on for 6 years now, I hope he'll get bored one day. He doesn't live in the UK so there is nothing the police can do to stop him.

I easily think it takes a good 8 hours per week to deal with the chaos....sorry I can't be more positive.....

[NerNerNerNerBATMAN]

I've had this with flat letterboxes. They took out bank accounts and cleared the overdrafts, they'd got a new (fake) passport to open the account. Happened hundreds of miles from where I lived.

Turned out one of the women in my block was dating a prolific fraudster. I wasn't the only one affected in the block. Reported to the police and he got a custodial sentence.

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

@goldierocks

You should be able to change your MMN with your banks at least - just choose a random word you will remember. That’s all it is, they don’t check it, it’s just an easy way to ask for a ‘password’. Would that help at all do you think?

Sounds like an absolute bellend though.