Identity fraud

[lilyj13]

Could someone please help, last month my “friend” who I’ve known since I was 4 used my identity. She took out talk talk in my name actually my maiden name! She used her address and a strange email address!
I never new this until a debt came through the post, they have apparently been trying to find me since 2017 the contract was a 12 month contract!
I contacted the debt collectors and explained what’s happened.
I phoned the police who told me to contact action fraud and I did this! Hurt a lot as she was my best friend! But I needed to as I recently found out she had stollen from her old accountant job for old people’s home she was caught fired and apparently they had contacted action fraud also!
Today after I waited a month for a reply from them to investigate this I had an email saying no action required!
I rang action fraud and they didn’t explain anything to me just said sorry it’s not getting any further!
Now I’m not expert but I’m sure stealing someone’s identity is surely a small prison time or a fine!
She’s got away with all this and I have no idea what to tell the debt collectors!
Why on earth wouldn’t this be pursued and taken to court or anything. What the hell is wrong with the police. I’m hurt and betrayed and she’s drunk ha round in a new car loving life all happy

I'm a bit confused. You say that your 'friend' used your identity last month but then say that the debt collectors have been looking for you since 2017?

How do you know it was your friend? How much has been stolen from you? Can't you just tell the debt collectors that you have been a victim of identity theft?

Unfortunately as it’s not you who has been defrauded there isn’t much you can do, it’s for the companies she has effectively stolen from to take action against her.
When my sdad has money taken from his account for various things the bank and Polices attitude was that as the bank had refunded him (eventually with my help) then it was ok. Action Fraud said the same.

She used her own address and one assumes there were some payments from the bank for Talk talk to chase up?

She wouldn't have gone a whole year without any payments.

This has happened to us and to get the debt collector off our backs we had to involve the police and get a crime reference number

Your name but a different address? So how is it your debt.

There must be loads of people with the same name, but the address makes them unique?

Totally confused.

I had a friend who did this - to her neighbours and to her own sister. She got caught when her neighbour tried to move and were denied a mortgage because of unpaid credit card bills. They involved the police so they would not be responsible for the debts and during the investigation, it was is covered she done the same with her sister. The sister paid off the debt. Friend was charged but got off with probation. Debt cleared in the name of the neighbours

Friend had not learned her lesson and did it again to her sister, breached probation and was sent to jail for both cases with neighbour and sister. She was also discovered to have gotten a drivers licence in the name of a friend after losing her licence for many tickets.

I’d try again with the police and check your credit history to be sure this was the only instance. Your “friend” could very well do this again.

Sorry if people are confused was a long message so I found out last month! But she had taken a contract with talk talk in my name well my maiden name as this would take people a long time to find it if she didn’t pay! and with her address random email with my name now in it, how do I know it was my friend. Because the debt letter who I contacted and rang told me her address it was linked to! So I new then it was her.

I’ve checked my credit history can’t see anything but not even sure has my maiden name on it I’ll have to check!
I contacted action fraud who told me they couldn’t do anything and sorry, the only reason I found out if because she moved house and must have forgot to pay the remainder of the bill!

That’s what I have done, taken a month and still she has gotten away with it

I’ve checked my credit history can’t see anything but not even sure has my maiden name on it I’ll have to check!

If she used her own address it won't be linked to you, unless you also lived at that address. Every Sarah Smith isn't linked to the credit history of every other Sarah Smith in the country. The address would also have to be the same.

@SnackSizeRaisin
Well that’s a relief! Just is annoying how the debt has come to me in my maiden name,
I think it’s disgusting how people can get away with things like what she’s done. I might as well get a car in her name and not pay it, surely I would get away with it! Doubt it.... such a shame as I will never speak to her again, just been “ friends” for a very long time!

She hasn’t actually stolen your identity, though. Just used the same name as you. What she’s actually done is used a false name with intent to defraud.

I think you should be annoyed at the debt collectors hassling you. There’s no way that they should be saying “there’s no Sarah Smith in Victoria Drive ... ah, but there’s another Sarah Smith in Brookfield Crescent - we’ll go after her instead “