Crazy relative threatening to report me for fraud - advice please

[leoleo]

A relative paid for a holiday on her debit card for me and my ds. I had the card in travel agents and used it to pay with chip and pin.
She is now blackmailing (?) me if I do not give her £1400 (which I do not have) she is threatening to report me to the police for fraud.
I was acting with her authorisation. I have no criminal record. What will happen if she does report me?
Should I be concerned?

OMG Leo she sounds nuts! Sorry. I think you are quite right to restrict her access, after all if she didn't have acces to you when you were growing up, why should she want to with your ds? It doesn't sound like she was much of a mother to you.

Sorry about the IVF, I know how expensive it is (my sis had 3 goes) and she was treated at a teaching hospital, so it was cheaper for her.

Anyway, re the OP, don't worry too much about her 'blackmailing' you, i think the police will a)have more on their plates to worry over and b) not see a crime has been committed anyway (except on her part maybe)

Hope you are OK.

I think if you give out your pin then you are responsible for anyone using your card because you have not protected yourself.

I have recently had my credit card details nicked but the card was always in my possession so I have "ensured" minimal risk to myself. The police may or may not investigate but it would seem that my details have been sold.

At the end of the day you had her card in your possession and she texted you her pin. So she is not being careful with either her card or pin so I am sure that she doesn't have a leg to stand on.

If she did contact the police I am sure that your younger sister could vouch for her erratic behaviour and tendency toward the dramatic.

But as I said earlier - if you have her card you could pay for the holiday (in fact anything) online, or over the phone. The numbers are all you need,not even the PIN.

sparkey - i paid in a travel agents not online or any other way.
I feel better today. Think my plan of action is to ignore her and sit tight and poss get a solicitor if need be.

Thank you everyone.

no advice to give leo just sending you hugs.

I have had the travel agents on the phone - they have spoken to her and she has told the travel agent that the booking was fraudulent and can they refund her and cancel it. They told her that they cannot discuss it with her as she is not on the booking and it isn't anything to do with them. The man she has been speaking to said she has been going mad on the phone and she was quite intimidating.

oh leo you poor thing. Can you phone cab?

isn't it her problem legally for disclosing the pin ? Do you have any proof of that ie where she wrote it down etc . She wants £1400 in addition to the holiday money ?

The £1400 is what she paid for to start my IVF treatment.

The travel agent called to say she has called them with a crime reference no. So I contacted the police myself and discussed with them. They said that I haven't committed an offence by using her card with authorisation.

They can take my sim card and get all texts sent and recieved - which will end all of this because she texted the pin no and she told me to use the card and my texts saying how much the holiday was and thank you and it's been booked. So hopefully that will be the end of it.

How embarassing that someone will read all the texts you've sent and recieved in the last x number of weeks!

I am feeling really angry with her but I am staying silent because that's what she wants - a response..

I'm not going to CAB - I will consider instructing a solicitor on Monday and look into a injunction of some type?

I'd cancel the holiday and give her that money back. My opinion only.

well at least your mind is at rest a bit now. Got the books btw. Thanks

I would cancel holiday but I wouldn't get any money back as holiday is in next few months.
Also I know it's prob wrong but I think why should I? She has done this all my life in one way or another and I give in for a easy life and I haven't done anything wrong even in the slightest.