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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

WWYD? Suspect colleague of fraud

58 replies

Bigviking · 22/02/2017 12:39

I have a colleague I've worked with for a long time. I'm senior to her, but we are close-ish due to the length of time we've worked together.

Some backstory - colleague was married and her exH had a well paid job. They split up about 6 years ago (they were having problems for some time, but split up due to her having an affair, and she has lived with the OM ever since). Her current partner does not earn nearly as much as her exH.

She has got herself into a right mess financially over the years. We've had multiple attachment of earnings requests due to debts not paid; debt collection companies ring her up everyday, etc. She regularly takes out pay-day loans, and she's had to borrow money from colleagues in the past. This is all mainly due to the fact that she hasn't adjusted her lifestyle since she split from her exH. She still takes holidays abroad, drives a nice car, has the latest iphone, etc.

To get to my WWYD - I know that my colleague has applied for pay day loans and credit online, using her partner's details. I've also heard her pretending to be him when talking to the bank about his accounts. She has access to all of his account details because she went through a process of trying to claim back PPI for them both. I think he couldn't be bothered with all the paperwork, so she got all of his details and wrote to the banks and PPI claim companies to try and get some money back.

I had always assumed that he is aware of what she was doing. But recently I've been suspecting more and more that he doesn't actually know. I don't have concrete evidence; it's mostly a gut feeling, but it's also based on conversations we've had or when I've heard her on the phone fobbing him off about why a standing order hasn't gone through, etc.

So, WWYD? Sometimes I feel like I want to tell the guy, but obviously that would have serious consequences for my colleague, and of course I could be wrong about the situation. And I know that none of this is any of my business anyway. I just keep thinking that it's all going to blow up and is it really bad that I've been suspecting something for a while but done nothing? I'm also worried about my colleague as I think she must be close to a breakdown with all the stress of people chasing her for money.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bigviking · 22/02/2017 15:13

Himoverthere - yes it was.

OP posts:

Himoverthere · 22/02/2017 15:16

Then that is without question unacceptable BV, and you need to bring that to the attention of HR, what is done with it from there is up to the company.

MatildaTheCat · 22/02/2017 15:26

It sounds as if she could well know it was you who reports her is you work closely together so you'd need to be able to deal with her suspecting or accusing you. Since she hasn't defrauded work I imagine they won't be terribly interested although it depends what the rules are about using the Internet etc. She may just say she conducts business at lunchtime which is common enough.

Re her partner it's possible he knows if he is also crap with money and she's just the designated one to take out the loans etc. It's also equally possible he has no idea and is getting into a big mess. Could you get his number and send him a text from someone else's phone? I think that's what I would have to do. You could just say that a 'friend' had told you and you were concerned.

WicksEnd · 22/02/2017 15:31

Is she not a nervous wreck? Imagine the stres of it all! Having to be the one who grabs the post/answers the phone every single day. Knowing you could be locked up
What's her performance like at work or is she just completely blasé business as usual?

I think I'd be ill. Permanently!

WicksEnd · 22/02/2017 15:34

Don't get involved on a personal level!
Go via HR. Get them to monitor her emails. I can't believe it's not been flagged! All those kind of sites are firewalled at our place (can't even look up an address in 'Middlesex'

Original poster

Bigviking · 22/02/2017 15:38

Me too!

Her performance is up and down. She's had a lot of absences over the years due to either stress or depression. Things go wrong in her personal life, and it just takes over. She has a tendency to make poor decisions which turn out badly for her. I'm sure that desperation re: her money situation is a big factor.

We have all been sympathetic towards her throughout her various problems. But it can be frustrating at times, as she doesn't seem to help herself. Last year she wen to Portugal for a fortnight, Dublin for a weekend, various trips in the UK. She knows she can't afford this stuff. I don't know whether she's just burying her head in the sand or what.

OP posts:

Himoverthere · 22/02/2017 15:45

You have a responsibility to tell HR if you know she is using work time, computers and email account to conduct what you suspect is fraudulent activity, the finger does not have to point at you, she is not exactly being smart.

Original poster

Bigviking · 22/02/2017 16:16

Matilda, I do have her partner's number already and could potentially tip him off from someone else's phone. But if I do that there's no going back from it.

If I shop her then it will have serious consequences for her. She could lose her job, her partner, her job prospects would be affected, she could go to prison, etc. I feel like I want to turn a blind eye. But then I feel awful for her partner.

OP posts:

TinselTwins · 22/02/2017 17:31

If it comes out in the wash that you knew (and it will, she's going to get caught by someone else if not you) then you'll be out of a job too!

TinselTwins · 22/02/2017 17:36

someone in a panic for being hauled in could easily dob others in even if it's not malicious and is just grabbing at straws to defend themselves:
e.g.
"it's not affecting my work at all, BigViking and the others in my office don't mind"

then HR goes: "ah! so BigViking knew"

I actually know someone who managed to get themselves not fired for using work computers inappropriately by arguing that the whole office had a culture of it and as his direct boss had seen iit and never commented, there was an implied approval from above!

Why are posters assuming he knows? He most likely doesn't given what the OP has said!

Wondermoomin · 22/02/2017 18:23

Himoverthere you might never have worked for a company that has a whistle blowing helpline but that doesn't mean you should be rude to girlelephant with all this Miss Marple crap

OP I would raise your concerns with such a line (if you have one) or your HR or line management. You don't know the extent of the possible fraud (she could move onto defrauding the company even if she hasn't already - this is why there are such stringent checks on prospective employees in banking/financial services for example, because a desperate situation does make people more susceptible to commit fraud or to be bribed to do so). Hand it over to people who can investigate it properly.

You mentioned that it's a professional services firm - if it's any sort of regulated activity, her employer really should know about this.

Himoverthere · 22/02/2017 18:41

Wondermoomin The 'phonecall' that was being glibly referred to as 'simple' was either to the police or to the colleagues OH that BV had only ever met once. It was shit advice, thoughtlessly given. Instead of saying that, I just passed it off with a gentle joke.

Wondermoomin · 22/02/2017 19:33

I think the suggestion was to call the anonymous reporting line if there was one

Himoverthere · 22/02/2017 20:27

Which is fine, though slightly obvious, the 'failing that' advice is what I was referring to. Anyway, this is very off topic and not helping anyone.

girlelephant · 22/02/2017 21:07

Thank you Wondermoomin for clarifying my comments. 😃

I recognise not all companies have a confidential reporting line so to use that if there was one. If not I would contact the police and let them decide how to deal.

OP what have you decided to do?

Himoverthere · 22/02/2017 21:25

In the event of her company not having a Ninja anonymous reporting line that she was not aware of, I have a friendly fiver says that she did not follow your alternate advice

Zafodbeeblbrox10 · 22/02/2017 21:42

I'm assuming your colleague 's partner is a man, so how does she propose to talk to the payday loan companies pretending to be him? I'm sure most savvy payday loan company employees would notice this, they seemed to be pretty thorough when I applied to get a loan.

LevantineHummus · 22/02/2017 22:29

But OP you're not responsible if she loses her job or ends up in prison, even if you call the police with concrete evidence. She's doing these things. You are tacitly allowing this to happen, up until the point you don't, one way or another. She's using company time and equipment to do this and presumably you're failing in your job if you don't report that to HR. She's put you in a difficult position, not the other way around.

Original poster

Bigviking · 22/02/2017 22:30

As ridiculous as it may sound, she just put on a deep voice! I've only ever heard her doing this with the bank. The loan / credit applications have all been done online.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bigviking · 22/02/2017 22:36

Levantine, I feel more torn than before! TBH, I've been surprised by the responses. I thought I would be told to keep my nose out.

The right thing is to tell someone, I know. And I know this is her fault, not mine. But I still feel like it would be me causing the problem if I do something about it. I don't want to ruin her life.

OP posts:

manandbeast · 22/02/2017 22:40

I would have said "do nothing", until a person in my sisters life who we all knew duped someone out of money. When we talked about it afterwards we all had the same feeling he was a bit of a fraud but none of us said anything - we thought it was none of our business. Except by keeping quiet we enabled him, we still do.

So I say - tell him anonymously.

DJBaggySmalls · 22/02/2017 22:52

I dont understand why you are ok with her ruining someone else's life, and commuting identity theft and fraud.
If she is caught and it could be proved you knew and did nothing, you could also be up the creek.

LevantineHummus · 22/02/2017 23:04

You can't ruin her life.

She can make yours pretty difficult - and maybe even cost you your job. You need to cover your back urgently, because like others has said, if she mentions that you've been around during these discussions, you're likely to be viewed very differently by your superiors (and peers and juniors). I'm guessing that you've put time and effort into your professional reputation, so not sure why you're so ready to put it in the line for someone who doesn't respect you, as shown by what she's doing on your watch!

She's also not at the point of thinking about maybe doing these things, she's already done them. Even if she was doing this crime to a total stranger, it's definitely not a victimless crime. Very far from it.

Someone close to me had their details taken and used to buy things. It was in Scotland and the police found do nothing because this person hadn't interfered with any bank accounts. I believe in England and Wales it's different, but just to say that what she's doing is very serious. My friend, btw spent a lot of time and money trying to out straight all the things that had been done and never was sure if the full extent had been uncovered. It's a really awful thing to do. You LITERALLY steal someone's identity.

Zafodbeeblbrox10 · 22/02/2017 23:16

I'd just tell her as her line manager not to do this sort of theatrical stuff in your time, and that you've noticed it and so presumably have others, and it's not professional so stop it henceforth.

TinselTwins · 22/02/2017 23:17

I don't want to ruin her life but you're considering sitting by and letting her ruin someone else's life

Inaction isn't always passive, it's an active choice if you know what's going on and turn a blind eye

and you're still skimming over the issue of her bringing you down with her!

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