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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To report sister to benefit fraud / police.

67 replies

Noodlehen · 03/03/2023 11:57

I have been out of the UK since 2017, and returned late last year.

I have a strained relationship with my mother and sister, and they live a life I do not agree with (won’t go into it all as will be here all day) I am now NC with them both..

in 2020 my sister text me and said that she had been claiming benefits in my name and she had done it the week before in a panic but she had tried to cancel it saying it was “an error” but she had received a payment that she would pay back. I told her to make sure if it was cancelled and if she hadn’t that I’d be reporting her for fraud. She told me that if I did she would go to prison and that she would kill herself and my nieces would be left without a family and it would be my fault. I told her that i wouldn’t if it was cancelled and trusted that she had cancelled. My mother also said that she was aware but that sis had cancelled.

fast forward to late 2020 I had a niggling feeling, called the universal credit hotline who confirmed there was a claim and reported it for fraud. Heard nothing back.

Yesterday, after reading a post on here about NI contributions I decided to have a look at mine, noticed contributions for the years I was out of the country. Today I’ve called UC again they have confirmed the claim is STILL going and that it has been open four years.

I have reported it again to the benefit fraud hotline and given her name, would it be unreasonable for me to report this to the police as identify theft? Is it even a crime? I seem to have shocking credit since moving back and I’m wondering she has opened catalogues or other credit accounts in my name too. When I left I had a good credit score.

i also don’t even understand how this has happened for four years, would she not need to go and sign on or something?

OP posts:
gamerchick · 03/03/2023 12:36

That shocking OP. You need to report her, all this shits in your name. It's going to come looking for you to pay it all back.

LosingMyPancakes · 03/03/2023 12:38

Most of the things you claim here, would require ID and proof of address with your name on it. How does she have all of this?

ProfessorSlocombe · 03/03/2023 12:38

Also make 100% sure anything to do with your NI record is corrected.

IncompleteSenten · 03/03/2023 12:40

You have to. It's you they will come after if you don't. You'll end up with the criminal record.

KarmaStar · 03/03/2023 12:40

The c.f.!! How could she do that to you?
I'm not surprised you are nc.
good luck.

lazycats · 03/03/2023 12:41

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 03/03/2023 12:41

Most of the things you claim here, would require ID and proof of address with your name on it. How does she have all of this?

I wondered the same, but if this is exactly as presented OP doesn't really have much choice but to report it - unless, that is, she wants the whole mess to fall on her too

Pseudonamed · 03/03/2023 13:07

Have you actually asked your sister about it? Or could you ring her to 'chat' and say you have just had a letter or notification or something to say someone is pretending to be you and see what she says?

Dancingcactus · 03/03/2023 13:11

She would need your documents or forged documents in your name to be able to do this. You need to go to the police to make sure you are not implicated as this will be treated more seriously than just having to pay it back.

Opaljewel · 03/03/2023 13:14

100% report the cheeky cow.

Therealjudgejudy · 03/03/2023 13:19

100% report to the police

Polarbearyfairy · 03/03/2023 13:19

Thing is, you know about it now so if you don't report it you're complicit in the fraud. I don't think you have a choice about reporting her.

This could have serious consequences for you so I'd do whatever you have to to make sure it's closed down and on record that it wasn't you who claimed.

How did she get hold of your ID?

Original poster
Noodlehen · 03/03/2023 13:28

OH MY GOD, I never knew you needed ID. Ok this makes it so clear why it was so easy. So back when we were ok she texted me and said she’d won some money on some raffle thing and that she couldn’t claim it because she didn’t have any photo ID and could I claim it. (Reading this back it sounds like a Nigerian scam) so I said yes but that I didn’t have the time so she asked for a scan of my passport and a picture of me holding my passport.

I was in australia and looking back at messages it was 5am so I was probably half asleep so didn’t think, because I am definitely not normally this stupid.

i remember asking her about it about it and she said they managed to pay her herself so I left it.

thats clearly how she managed it. I’m an absolute idiot.

OP posts:
ProfessorSlocombe · 03/03/2023 13:38

OP needs to be prepared to have police, DWP and HMRC trawl through their life with a fine toothcomb (which could take years). Their very first suspicion will be that OP and sister were in on it together and have now fallen out.

LakieLady · 03/03/2023 13:41

LosingMyPancakes · 03/03/2023 12:38

Most of the things you claim here, would require ID and proof of address with your name on it. How does she have all of this?

I'm intrigued by this, too. You have to provide ID, and proof of rent liability when you claim UC.

She won't have been able to prove rent liability in your name for her address (or any other address), so she will only have been able to claim the standard allowance of £334 a month.

There were issues in the early days of UC, when they used email addresses as the identifying factor, and someone opened 6 UC accounts with different email addresses and got 6 lots of UC, but she got caught out fairly quickly and they now want an NI number (complete mystery to me why they didn't do that from the start, as NI numbers are unique to individuals) and other evidence.

Do you both have the same initials and surname? I can see how that might go unnoticed for a while.

Chimna · 03/03/2023 13:43

You don't really have a choice but to report it. UC credit is being claimed that you are not entitled to so without reporting it you will have to pay this back and will potentially be charged with benefit fraud.

Scienceadvisory · 03/03/2023 13:43

It was easier to claim UC during covid as there weren't always as many checks and there was a need to process lots of claims quickly. Plus, it's not impossible to forge documents. Unfortunately people do it every day.

1FootInTheRave · 03/03/2023 13:48

Report the stupid bitch.

Be prepared to find she's done far far more than claim benefits in your name.

LakieLady · 03/03/2023 13:49

Noodlehen · 03/03/2023 13:28

OH MY GOD, I never knew you needed ID. Ok this makes it so clear why it was so easy. So back when we were ok she texted me and said she’d won some money on some raffle thing and that she couldn’t claim it because she didn’t have any photo ID and could I claim it. (Reading this back it sounds like a Nigerian scam) so I said yes but that I didn’t have the time so she asked for a scan of my passport and a picture of me holding my passport.

I was in australia and looking back at messages it was 5am so I was probably half asleep so didn’t think, because I am definitely not normally this stupid.

i remember asking her about it about it and she said they managed to pay her herself so I left it.

thats clearly how she managed it. I’m an absolute idiot.

This is identity theft then. Definitely a police matter.

What an utter cow she's been.

There's an organisation that deals with all of this stuff but I can't remember what it's called CIFA or something like that (my first thought was CIPFA, but that's the public sector finance body). If you can find contact details for them, they will be able to advise you.

Original poster
Noodlehen · 03/03/2023 13:49

No we don’t have same initial, we had the same surname as I am only recently married. I would say she knows my NI number or could easily get it from my mums house afaik my NI card is still there with birth cert etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Noodlehen · 03/03/2023 13:52

LakieLady · 03/03/2023 13:49

This is identity theft then. Definitely a police matter.

What an utter cow she's been.

There's an organisation that deals with all of this stuff but I can't remember what it's called CIFA or something like that (my first thought was CIPFA, but that's the public sector finance body). If you can find contact details for them, they will be able to advise you.

Show quote history

Thank you so much, I will look them up. I think I will go to the police station on Monday, have everything printed ready to give them including me sending her my passport, DH thinks I could get in trouble for this but I’m not bothered because I was stupid to trust her, so I’ll have to take the consequences if there are any.

I don’t want to ruin the weekend by going today and having it all on my mind.

OP posts:
DramaLlama20 · 03/03/2023 13:53

Allblackeverythingalways · 03/03/2023 12:18

Fucking hell, I'd be straight onto the police. Sister or not.
I'd immediately be NC too.
She could have impacted you permanently. I could not forget or forgive that.

This!! Call the police today.

EllieU · 03/03/2023 13:53

Yes report her. Maybe she will kill herself, that's not your fault. She's ruining you right now.

DramaLlama20 · 03/03/2023 13:54

Your credit profile can be corrected as this is fraud. I think it's CIFAS you need to contact after the police to sort that out.

ProfessorSlocombe · 03/03/2023 13:57

DH thinks I could get in trouble for this but I’m not bothered because I was stupid to trust her, so I’ll have to take the consequences if there are any.

From what you've written, you've done nothing wrong. However the DWP most certainly will not see it that way, nor will the police. And despite it being their job to prove you have done something wrong, they will try to make it your job to prove you haven't. And they won't be nice about it.

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