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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

02 ruined my daughters life

115 replies

Wenders54 · 11/12/2024 23:48

Hi I am wondering can you help My daughter was the victim of identity theft and fraud 6 years ago when she was about to buy a house and then found out someone had taken out finance in her name and she could not get the mortgage. She had to wait 6 years to get this cleared and it only cleared 2 months ago . But the prices of the houses have rocketed compared to what they were 6 years ago and she is a single girl on her own . She just found out the day after she seen a house she could afford that the same thing has happened again . She is beyond stressed. She has tried everything ringing debt collection agency and 02 and credit reference agencies and Action Fraud . Nothing has worked . She is beside herself with worry as this coukd render her unable to get a home afain for another 6 years and by then she definitely will not be ablw to afford a home . 02 have done this twice . Given out phones in her name and ruined her credit . They mess her around from department to department and dint give her any response. Ladt time it happened they did that fir ove a year and her health was very bad and she had to start anti depressants and go to GP snd mental health practitioner. We are desperate . Can you please help . Time is of the essence as we don't want this on her file when she is applying for a mortgage after Christmas .

OP posts:

LadyGaGasPokerFace · 11/12/2024 23:54

I wouldn’t be speaking to some monkey on the phone with 02, email the organ grinder CEO [email protected]

Foundpresents · 11/12/2024 23:56

Martin Lewis?

NewMe2024 · 11/12/2024 23:56

Sorry to hear this OP. I don’t have enough expertise to help with the current situation, but in future she could sign up for a credit monitoring service. I was offered this free when my financial advisor had a data leak and client details were exposed. The system monitors your credit profile and alerts you if anything on it changes so you can intervene with the relevant companies. I think it’s quite a cheap service, and you can just log in and check it online.

Lavender14 · 11/12/2024 23:57

Could she report it to police? Or report o2 to the financial ombudsman for failing to deal with this effectively or in a timely manner? O2 are notoriously difficult to deal with on tricky financial matters. I'd also maybe look into a debt charity like CAP to see if they can help negotiate on your dds behalf?

Endofyear · 11/12/2024 23:57

Isn't identity theft illegal? Has she spoken to the police?

LeftWhisker · 12/12/2024 00:07

Ask admin to remove your dsughter's name from your post

allthatfalafel · 12/12/2024 00:13

Are you sure she's telling the truth? I had similar happen to me with O2 and it didn't stop me from buying a house, whoever it was with me bought 2 iPhones (and a five figure jewellery item, but that's another story).

But unless she didn't report properly and let it go on, or whoever it was bought a ton of phones and expensive contracts it shouldn't have had that bad of an effect on her.

It definitely didn't take as long as a year to sort out, they have a department that deals with all that stuff and you give them the crime number from reporting it to the police (as ironically they won't talk to you about the accounts as you aren't the account holder...). It took me about half an hour on the phone.

Sia8899 · 12/12/2024 00:29

It’s not quite adding up that this would take six years to sort out, would stop her getting a mortgage or that the exact same thing would happen just as she is trying to buy a house for the second time

wrped · 12/12/2024 00:38

Sia8899 · 12/12/2024 00:29

i imagine if its like having a default then that takes 6 years to be removed from your credit report

unless you can successfully challenge it have it removed sooner

Brainstorm23 · 12/12/2024 00:39

I'm assuming OP is referring to a CIFAS marker which can persist for 6 years

https://www.richardsonlissack.co.uk/service/financial-services-regulation/cifas-markers/

Counterpane · 12/12/2024 00:39

If it took six years to drop off her credit file then it probably wasn't sorted out properly. As pp have suggested, get advice and report it to the police. Identity theft is a nightmare to unpick and she needs help to know what steps to take and what to do next.

Wishitsnows · 12/12/2024 00:43

She could speak to the financial ombudsman, OFCOM and also go on the Martin Lewis moneysavingexpert site on the forums where people on there would definitely have ideas to help

Brainstorm23 · 12/12/2024 00:43

There was no need to wait 6 years to get it removed. If it's not valid your daughter should have challenged it at the time rather than sit on her hands. The link i posted has details of the procedure to follow.

Yalta · 12/12/2024 01:03

This makes no sense.

What did the police say. Why wasn’t there a notice on her account about this with a police crime number

WrylyAmused · 12/12/2024 01:05

There are various financial journalists/columnists at newspapers who write about solving problem issues like this.

In addition to the police etc routes, getting the light of publicity shone on bad customer service can help speed things along to a positive conclusion.

PeloMom · 12/12/2024 01:08

Did you report to the police the first time around? This time? Also have you reported to her bank- they can put a note on her file to verify any new direct debit requests etc. check with the police what additional measures you can take.

HerbieFluffyDumpling · 12/12/2024 01:15

When I had a credit account set up in my name, I was advised to apply for a protective registration, to add an extra layer of security. I think it cost me £20 or £30. Wasn't she advised to do this?

I also tried reporting to the police, but apparently it wasn't a police matter and I was told to contact Action Fraud.

Brainstorm23 · 12/12/2024 01:38

HerbieFluffyDumpling · 12/12/2024 01:15

When I had a credit account set up in my name, I was advised to apply for a protective registration, to add an extra layer of security. I think it cost me £20 or £30. Wasn't she advised to do this?

I also tried reporting to the police, but apparently it wasn't a police matter and I was told to contact Action Fraud.

Yes the link is at https://www.cifas.org.uk/pr

Protective Registration | Identity Protection Service | Cifas

If your personal details are stolen, or you've seen unusual account activity, you may be at risk of identity fraud. Find out about Protective Registration.

https://www.cifas.org.uk/pr

PyongyangKipperbang · 12/12/2024 01:39

To have it done once is unlucky, to have it done twice, in the same company, suggests that she isnt being as safe as she could be with her personal information or it is someone she knows (and who knows her) very well.

Not victim blaming, the people who do this are scumbags but sadly you really cant trust anyone anymore.

sandyhappypeople · 12/12/2024 01:46

I had an issue when applying for a mortgage, I had swapped my bank account (which automatically swapped all my direct debits) and mid way through the application process, it came to light that my phone contract direct debit hadn't been swapped, so the payment rejected, it was the banks fault, but as it was now on my credit file, my mortgage offer was immediately rescinded.

I had to get the bank to write a letter admitting fault, which I had to send to my phone provider, and then the phone provider had to contact experian to get the mark removed from my credit file, it was a massive faff, but it worked, it was removed and my mortgage offer was reinstated as if nothing had happened.

There's something odd about this though, why was she unable to have it removed before, and why can't she have it removed now? You say she has contacted a lot of people what are their reasons for not being able to help her? Is it someone in her household taking out finance/contracts in her name?

GRex · 12/12/2024 01:55

HerbieFluffyDumpling · 12/12/2024 01:15

When I had a credit account set up in my name, I was advised to apply for a protective registration, to add an extra layer of security. I think it cost me £20 or £30. Wasn't she advised to do this?

I also tried reporting to the police, but apparently it wasn't a police matter and I was told to contact Action Fraud.

Action Fraud are part of the police.

OP - it isn't clear why she's had such a long time to clear things up, but if there's been fraud then she can fill in the form here: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/.

Jaxhog · 12/12/2024 02:01

I would contact one of the major newspapers for help e.g. Times or Telegraph. They have consumer champions who offer help. Or Which? the consumers association do too.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 12/12/2024 02:01

Did she go to the police?

SomethingUniqueThisTime · 12/12/2024 02:06

I’m not being funny but is she as naive as you are about putting personal details online? You have put her first name in your post, ask MNHQ to remove it asap. And your user name appears to give your year of birth, I do hope Wenders is not your surname too.

rosiethegremlin · 12/12/2024 03:05

Bit weird to include her name when you're worried about identity theft.

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