To be worried about this

[user1475530483]

I have name changed for this.
We have a live in Nanny who we really love and has been with us almost 2 years. We consider her part of the family, have taken her overseas with us, paying for her to go to her home country for 3 weeks (paid) over xmas etc, paying for her to learn to drive etc. generally think we treat her well and like a family member. She has been amazing to us also and I have trusted and relied on her like a family member.

So tonight i come home and open a letter which was declining me for a credit card application that I didn't apply for.

I immediately called the provider the letter was from to find out about it. I didnt get much information because they told me "as it was declined the application was wiped" however the person on the phone had enough info about the application to then ask me "do you know someone by the name of (Nannys Name) because the application was made by her"
Lady on the phone was quite cagey and wouldnt give much info but said that i was put down as an employer on nannys credit card application,.
i immediately checked my credit rating which appears to have been affected by this "hard enquiry" by this credit card place.

Afterwards I spoke with a friend who works at a bank to ask how this could happen - she said it is possible that I was listed as a co-applicant.

What I dont understand is even if she unknowingly added me as a co applicant - how did they do a credit check on me (which has affected my credit ) without my permission or knowledge?

My husband says she must have been approached by one of those sharky credit card pushers and likely didnt really know what she was filling out. But I have a really sick feeling about it to be honest. How would they be able to do a credit check on me? The letter declining me came to ME - as if I was the applicant. It is all extremely weird.

Is there a logical and innocent explanation for this ? Or should I be concerned that someone I trust isnt who I think they are ?

I'm interested in the wording of the letter to you OP.

Was it a 'this application has been turned down' or 'your application has been turned down'?

I realise you're upset about being credit checked without your consent, i would be too.

I really need to go and make DDs breakfast!

Thanks cauliflower for your helpful input
If you want to confirm I’m not a troll feel free to pm me
I don’t know why I’d bother to make that shit up that’s the conversation I had and hence why I felt it weird enough to post on here about

Laiste- personal to me - thanks for your application

I’m going to sleep now I’ll post a photo of the letter tomorrow to appease the troll hunters

It’s not troll hunting to say that there is no way this would happen the way you say it did. Up until you said you were in Canada, I was going to agree with @Cauliflowercheede.

However, until another Canadian on here confirms or denies how it works there, you will have to be given the benefit of the doubt.

Retail cards are backed by major banks/cc companies on both sides of the pond. The details will be in the rejection letter or available from the retailer. Look at their T&C as a start point.

You have a great relationship and are a wonderful employer but your default assumption was "what has she done" rather than "the company screwed up and processed the employer rather than the applicant"?

You say you have a good credit rating? So presumably if you applied for a card you would expect to get one? So she hasn't applied in your name or the credit check wouldn't have failed.

Your issue is with the company. Depending on the province you are in you should be able to get all the information, Canada does have the concept of Subject Access Requests. No one here can answer the questions you have.

However, until another Canadian on here confirms or denies how it works there, you will have to be given the benefit of the doubt

I'm not a Canuck, have worked there. As with UK never see conspiracy where cock up can explain something.

Then she said “but I suppose you don’t know anyone by the name of ( nanny’s name) and I said yes and she said “well she’s the applicant and you’re added as the employer”

Isnt that a breach of (UK) data protection - its not your application, details shouldnt have been given out

That’s the point though @Violletta, it’s not the UK so most of our opinions are useless.

yup Wombling - would have been helpful if the OP mentioned that at the start - but i dont think it would have been top of my thoughts....

however you have a bigger problem with the nanny - she’s got enough PERSONAL info about you to apply for credit in your name

They say a fool and his money are soon parted.......and you admit you have form for being too trusting/a pushover....

You don't seem to have good/professional boundaries with her.
She's not 'family' - She's a paid member of staff who works in your household.
She's only been with you 2 years and there's still a big language/tone barrier......you can't possibly know her well enough to adopt her as family and throw all this extra money at her.

Have you enrolled her on a language course to improve this essential job related skill?
It would be far more beneficial all round to do that first and driving lessons later when she can manage a straightforward conversation like this without any difficulty/issues.
She gets paid a wage - she's supposed to use that to fund her holidays home/driving lessons, unless it's specified in her contract that her employer will pay for these on top of her normal paid holidays.

I think you make yourself an easy target to be honest - too much money and not enough sense.
The only reason you personally would have been credit checked is either because you were named as main/primary card holder/guarantor, or because that's all they had to go in the absence of an official 'company' name......but even then either of those options would have required your knowledge, consent and most likely your signature.....

The only reason you personally would have been credit checked is either because you were named as main/primary card holder/guarantor, or because that's all they had to go in the absence of an official 'company' name

Nope, the other reason is cock up - either failure of their processes or incorrect filling in of the form due to misunderstanding.

OP states that the company told her the application had been made by the nanny citing her as employer which would be correct on most application forms requiring evidence of earnings (in .ca as well as the UK)

If the nanny put OP down as main applicant and herself as card holder then why would the woman on the phone lie?? Also surely it would appear that OP was the applicant as how can you apply for a card in someone else’s name?!

Did you contact experion?

So I called the credit card provider again and confirmed that an application was made in my name using my information. I mentioned that last night the representative had given me a name (I didn’t share the name) but the representative today claimed there was no other name on the application- which leaves me scratching my head about what on earth the previous person was on about. In any case I’ve requested a copy of the application that was made.
I also reported to the credit bureaus who also confirmed that in the last few weeks a number of hard checks have been made on my credit - hence the affect that appears to have been made to my credit. Hopefully when investigated these will be removed.
I have no idea what has happened or even if it has anything to do with my nanny at all but I don’t know why her name was mentioned - and expect they should not have released that to me? Who knows
Thanks for your comments

If English isn't her first language maybe she misunderstood what a guarantor was and put you as guarantor? Again the creidt card agent may have been a bit wiley when she asked what is/who can be guarantor and may have suggested your employer.

A bit off topic- but what is a hard check?

A hard check is an actual credit enquiry such as for a mortgage application or credit card - a soft check would be you just requesting to look at your own score for example
That’s how I understand it anyway

I work in banking/wealth management, it is extremely unlikely that they simply “got it wrong”. You need the clients consent to obtain a credit search. I’m sorry op, it does not look to good. Perhaps a misunderstanding due to language barriers?

A number of hard checks ring alarm bells. You need to put a fraud alert on your credit file immediately to alert other lenders in case there is another search. You need be very very careful now op. I have experience of this professionally and this sounds like fraud. Your calls will have been recorded so you can submit a request of the copy of the call frm yesterday when the name was mentioned. You might need it should it be a case for criminal court.

Has any further credit been obtained? How many searches were there?

PM me if you need help.

Well if you didn't apply for this card, yet the credit card company has an application in your name, isn't it also possible that the nanny never applied for a credit card either?

Get a copy of your credit file OP. You need to see and check all that's on there. & get these details removed if they're on your file. If I'd received the letter you had then yes, I'd think somebody had either applied for a credit card in my name, put me down as a joint applicant, or as a guarantor. I wouldn't be pleased with either. But I bet it's one of those 3 things. Either way something fraudulent has gone on here.

It’s impersonation for sure

Be extra vigilant, a big risk can be the fraudster using your details for instant credit etc.

You need to be registered with cifas which will protect you