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Victims of crime

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Original poster

"You're in prison!"

43 replies

BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 18:42

I remember reading a guardian article about a lady in the US who had enormous problems when her identity got stolen. It stated that this wouldn't happen here. Well it does, is worse, and in our case been going on for nearly 30 years with arrests, money taken from benefits to repay fines, bailiffs, and most recently, this week, carer's allowance being stopped as "you're in prison". He has no criminal record or debts. He's had to make a declaration to the court that it's not him, had the property surrounded by 6 policemen because there is a warrant for "his" arrest, been arrested several times for this other person that has an extensive criminal record. He's pleaded his innocence and the mix-up to police that respond by saying "that's what everybody says" until the fingerprint is checked. He looks nothing like this other person: height, tattoos on the criminal etc. He's been told, by police, to always have his passport with him and he was given a letter, from police head of data, that he was not to be mixed up with this other person. Yet that doesn't stop his carer's allowance being stopped and they still have money for him that they took several years ago.

What can be done?

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 20:07

BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:04

@Eyerollcentral there is an event from nearly 30 years ago that would imply identity theft. And there's no birth certificate for the OP. And middle name is used by almost all males in the family, just not DH.

HMCTS have taken money , refunded it, got DH arrested, then took the money again...

What event nearly 30 years ago??? You haven’t found the birth certificate, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. If the middle name is used by nearly all the names in your husband’s family I’m assuming it’s fairly common no? Did your husband not bother getting the money back from HMCTS a second time? Did he not complain to them? There is no identity theft. There has been no crime committed against your husband. You sound paranoid.

AnotherAppleThief · 07/02/2023 20:08

So you don't actually know if this person has committed a crime against your husband, just an assumption?

Original poster
BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:10

@Eyerollcentral they're probably content with the name as he's been using it so long that he would have built up a stash of documents with that name. Passport office don't have that problem.

Needed an enhanced DBS check once and had to get finger printed before the clear check came back.

It's just at every turn there is that one more layer to life. It's exhausting

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 20:10

The HMRC comments also do not make any sense at all either. Surely the other man has his own national insurance number? Are you sure your husband is telling you the whole truth?

Original poster
BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:11

@Eyerollcentral not paranoid, just exhausted

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 20:12

BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:10

@Eyerollcentral they're probably content with the name as he's been using it so long that he would have built up a stash of documents with that name. Passport office don't have that problem.

Needed an enhanced DBS check once and had to get finger printed before the clear check came back.

It's just at every turn there is that one more layer to life. It's exhausting

You have to provide a birth certificate to get a passport though??? Again he has a national insurance number too. A finger print when two people born on the same day in the same city in the same hospital would be entirely sensible. It’s not the most trying thing in the world is it? Just a minor inconvenience which, if he was that bothered, your husband would have resolved by changing all or part of his name????

Original poster
BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:13

@Eyerollcentral and yes, sure of the truth. I've been by his side for 25 years. I've seen it all and the toll it takes on him

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 20:13

Well there is a very simple solution.

Original poster
BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:16

@Eyerollcentral yes, two people can be born on the same day at the same hospital with the same name. But only one has a birth certificate. Only one birth is registered with the hospital. Someone is telling porkies and has done so from before things were computerised so can keep doing it. More stringent controls have to be put in place. And organisations can't keep making the same mistake.

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 20:17

BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:16

@Eyerollcentral yes, two people can be born on the same day at the same hospital with the same name. But only one has a birth certificate. Only one birth is registered with the hospital. Someone is telling porkies and has done so from before things were computerised so can keep doing it. More stringent controls have to be put in place. And organisations can't keep making the same mistake.

This is what sounds paranoid. Maybe instruct a private investigator to see if you can find the birth certificate

Moonlightsonatas · 07/02/2023 20:18

Change the whole family’s name by deed poll

Original poster
BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:18

@Eyerollcentral it's not a minor thing. Everytime you think it's settled it comes back a couple of years later.

It's also dangerous when the NHS gets it wrong. What if they mix up allergies, blood types, diseases, next of kin?

OP posts:
Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 20:20

Parents register children when they are born, not the NHS.

LittleBrownJug · 07/02/2023 20:20

BluerthanBlue · 07/02/2023 20:00

Does anyone have a link in the media?

I will DM you

ferneytorro · 07/02/2023 20:25

My husbands credit record got linked in error with someone of the same name same dob (nothing to do with the other person). We only knew when were trying to get a new mortgage and he was getting refused. Took ages to "decouple" him from this other chap and husband had to do all the running. He also (other chap) had a warrant out for his arrest at times so, when we would come back from holiday husband would get questioned by the border staff. It got so regular that i wouldn't wait for him I'd trot off and get the suitcases whilst he explained. What made it really funny is that husband is a bobby.

One thing that stood out though Op was your assertion that someone needs to get a handle on this and sort it - that someone is your husband I'm afraid, it's not affecting anyone else (apart from you of course) so why would anyone else want to drive the resolution - not saying it's right but that's probably the truth. Husband spent hours and hours and hours sorting it.

JenniferBarkley · 07/02/2023 20:29

This is awful OP. In my innocence I would think it would be fixed after the first time with a flag on the record.

I don't know why you're getting such a hard time, this:

arrests, money taken from benefits to repay fines, bailiffs, and most recently, this week, carer's allowance being stopped as "you're in prison".

Certainly reads like a big deal to me.

horriblechristmas2022 · 07/02/2023 21:45

At the very least the police should put an information report on the system explaining to double check the details

That is fairly simple to do

Eyerollcentral · 07/02/2023 21:50

Given that the police gave him a letter presumably they now have done this. Tbh I’m finding it difficult to believe the OP is for real

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