Fraud from ex what would you do?

[Greggers2017]

My DP's ex, DSD biological mum has been committing fraud using DP bank card. We have just discovered she has been using his card to buy thing online over several months. The reason we haven't noticed before is because they are for small amount, no more than £30. On occasions there are up to 7 transactions a day. We have gone through PayPal and the bank and found out she has been buying things like household items and clothes.
DSD lives with us full time due to her biological mum having a history of severe mental health issues and neglect towards DSD when she was a baby. DSD has just started having her contact unsupervised for 3 hours every Sunday and we were hoping to be able to work together to build up to overnight eventually.
We were all set for making a fraud investigation with the bank but we are now unsure what to do. We don't want to rock the boat for DSD but what she has done is theft. Do we confront her and inform her we know it is her?

So this is fraud number 3 in reality.
Catalogue, mobile phone, now unauthorised purchases.

When do you think this will stop OP, when your bank account is empty?

Thanks for all your advice. I have called 101 to ask for advice. as a result DP has called them when he returned from work this evening. He now has a crime number which he has given to his bank. They have now begun an investigation through their fraud team.
With regards to the phone and catalogue as soon as we found out about those she changed them over to her own name.
We are going to discuss it with DSD this evening too and explain what is going on.
DP works as a probation officer and believes she will probably only get a fine or unpaid work hours if she is found guilty so we feel we have done the right thing now.

Yes thats for the best. She will never learn otherwise.

My DH ignored his ex doing things like that. Using his account details for small transactions left right and centre.

Until she took out finance on a brand new car and her new bf pretended to be my DH to sign the forms in the garage. We didn't find out for about 8 months when it was repossessed!!

Took months to get our credit reports sorted out and had an impact on our mortgage when we renegotiated. Even then he wouldn't take it further because of his children

Thanks for all reassuring me that we've done the right thing.
we spoke to DSD last night and she accepts that if you break the law you need to face the consequences.

You did the right thing. It’s not like she’s mentally incapacitated to know it’s not the right thing to do, she needs to learn the hard way.

Right thing reporting - horrible to happen. But is it indicative of mental health decline? Do you need to alert her GP or social worker too? For dsd's sake.

It could possibly be a mental health decline but it's been happening over several months and no change to her that we are aware of.
There is no social worker involved with DSD as she has lived with her dad since she was 2. Dad and mum have arranged the contact together depending on what mum can manage/wants. I know she has a CPN but not aware of what doctors surgery she's registered with so cannot/would not contact them.

Also from speaking to DSD grandma (maternal) she has done this several times over the years to different people.
Grandma and DSD have a fantastic relationship and glad this hasn't rocked the boat with her.

If you don't report her, why wouldn't she do it again?

I mean, she's stolen 1500 from you.

I'd report the matter to police because you don't know what else she's been up to. It's not exactly buying milk and bread either. Be a role model to your dsd here.

Mental health decline or not, it's theft. Why is immaterial, this could really harm people if she's not stopped. What if the first person she stole from had reported to police, as a responsible citizen?

1500 could mean the difference if keeping or losing a house to some people already in debt, it's disgusting what she's done.

I work in children's services, if it is the child's mother it is not great and could be used in a wider picture...ie acquiring items to sell to buy drugs but fraud in itself although illegal would be viewed as lower risk than a violent offence so would not necessarily jeopardise contact. The social worker would look at the bigger picture before making a decision.