To think they did this on purpose? PIL related

[Dannilion]

Bit of background..

PIL's are shit with money. They have had failed business after failed business, declared themselves bankrupt, borrowed £££££'s from friends as investments, asked DH to launder money for them etc.

FIL is nice enough, just made some very silly decisions as well as being on the receiving end of some very bad luck. MIL are very different but get on on a surface level.

Anyways, a few months ago PIL's came round and asked if they could open a bank account in DH's name in order to receive their wages or something as due to their bankruptcy they were struggling with doing so. DH said no, as it was obviously illegal and he is also self employed and didn't want to be investigated. Also PFB was due and we were worried about the effect it would have on us when it came to claiming tax credits etc. Not that we should have had to have given a reason for not wanting to partake in this, but we had plenty.


Fast forward to them coming to visit the baby last week and bringing some letters for him that had arrived at their address. He gets the odd one every so often. He opens one and it's from Santander, thanking him for opening a new account. He never opened a new account with them, ever.

PIL's were very quick to say 'oh your father opened an account with them but they did it in the wrong name by accident, never mind all sorted now etc' and changed the subject.

I just can't see how a bank could open an account in the wrong name for someone who hasn't lived at that address in years. All his other mail comes here so if there is some sort of grand database it would had him at our home address surely?

I haven't broached this with DH yet as it would be devastating for him. But AIBU to think that they have probably gone ahead and opened a bank account in his name? Obviously if they have we will have to deal with it ASAP.

[cozietoesie]

Or I may correct myself. I can't recall precisely (it was 6 months ago) whether I had to await the code for any use at all or just for full functionality.

[NotSoNervous]

It sounds like they r opened an account. No matter what explanation your mil gives your DH should still phone the bank tonight

[whattodoo]

I've just checked, mine was with Equifax.

I did do a check about 4/5 years ago though, so maybe I already had an account, but I'd give it a go if I were you (and £5 cash back is a bonus!)

[Whoknowswhocares]

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/identity-requirements-for-basic-bank-accounts

Ok just so you know, it is absolutely impossible that this is an'accident'. The link shows what forms of ID you need to open an account for each individual branch, both online or in branch.
However much your oh might like to believe otherwise, they have definitely committed fraud and done this on purpose

[HolidayArmadillo]

Have a look on checkmyfile, that should show up any accounts in your husbands name.

[Cravey]

As I stated no matter why this was done if it is not reported by your husband and this gets found to be fraud he can and will be implicated.

[TigerSwallowTail]

They've already asked your dh to launder money for them, now they've asked him to open a bank account which he has refused and now mysteriously a bank account has been opened in his name at their address which they've denied. I don't see what can come from your dh speaking to them first, they'll most probably just try and work out another way to use him to get money. Your dh needs to phone the bank which would hopefully put an end to this behaviour before your dh is left in a lot of debt or gets into trouble.

[diddl]

Of course he should check-and without warning them!

In fact he should have checked as soon as he got the letter.

Why wouldn't he??

[aldiwhore]

Wow. They're not just shite with money they're cheeky, selfish bloody bastards.

Not helpful I know!!

It's bad enough that they're dubious anyway, but I'd pretend not to know if I liked them, but they've implicated your family in their grubby dealings now so it really needs to be tackled doesn't it?

Sorry I can't offer advice on real terms. Stand your ground, and be there for your DH who will be utterly devastated I'm sure but it IS time to stand your ground and do the right thing. x

[Cravey]

Also you need to check your dh didn't say yes he would help. I can't enforce enough the legal ramifications of this. Either way this account needs checking on to make sure it is closed.

[quoteunquote]

Your dh needs to phone Santander and ask about it. And then immediately close the account. You can put the money somewhere safe and quietly wait for the PILs to ask about it. At which point they better have a good explanation!

DO this^^ What Berthabog said

Although I would be worrying about what ID they used, and what else they've used it for

and this is why you have to phone the police if they have opened an account, and don't let them in your house until they confess how they opened an account if they did,

I suggest you keep bills and ID locked away.

[fuzzywuzzy]

The credit check gets done immediately online.

Of you redirect post thro the post office they will send a letter to your IL's house telling them that post to your husbands name will now be redirected and if this is incorrect to let them know.

[HighJinx]

Now that you know they have done this in your DH's name I really think that you MUST take steps to sort it out officially.

Otherwise when the shit hits the fan your DH will not be able to claim he knew nothing about it and could be implicated in their deception and fraud.

[MildDrPepperAddiction]

I think you should be able to check with Santander. There would be a reference or account number on the letter. Get your DH to ring and check to be sure.

[SolomanDaisy]

You can select not to have a letter sent to the previous address when you arrange to have mail forwarded. They send it to the forwarding address instead.

[Blatherskite]

"Of you redirect post thro the post office they will send a letter to your IL's house telling them that post to your husbands name will now be redirected and if this is incorrect to let them know"

But does that matter? He's already texted to ask for an explanation so they know he's onto them.

[SolomanDaisy]

I think (but am not certain) that if they opened the account online the credit check would involve the electoral roll, so they would need to have added him to the electoral roll at their house.

[Dannilion]

The reason we didn't think of it sooner is that we've just had a baby and can't make our heads from our arses at the moment, and yeah it doesn't really matter what MIL says as he'll be calling Santander anyways. I guess it's just utter disbelief that this could really be happening. MIL finishes work at 6, I'm trying to get a credit check done before then!

[fudgeit]

srsly, is this a Santander thing? the mother can barely speak English, she went to Evans to buy a pair of shoes and they opened a store card - managed by Santander- for her! they got most of her address wrong and started calling her constantly to pay for a card she never she applied for. they were thoroughly unhelpful until i started tweeting about how they had taken advantage of her and how suddenly she owed approx £150 in charges for a £10 pair of shoes. fortunately they saw the error of their ways and it was soon sorted. def get your DH on the case about this.

[cozietoesie]

I'm wondering whether Santander might not have internal procedures for going to the police anyway if someone phoned up to close an account and said that they had not opened it?

[IDontDoIroning]

Of course it's on purpose - they asked if they could do it, he said no, they did it anyway,

can you really imagine the convo "oh look I accidentally opened a bank account in my sons name as one does"
"Hm what do I do ? Just leave it - commit identify fraud and breach the terms of my bankruptcy potentially cause lots of problem for my son with his credit rating or just leave it knowing its wrong?"
"Hm decisions decisions"

[IDontDoIroning]

Or put it right

I mean

[ekidna]

how grim.
its quite clear you have no choice but to report it.
santander will have to involve the fraud team and the pils will be in the utter shit. there's no way round it. they'll have to face up to it.

[JerseySpud]

Oh my god.

I would be freaking completely at this point