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Catalogue fraud attempts using your address?

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Catalogue fraud attempts using your address?

 

A couple of days back I get throught the post, addressed to a 'Mrs A Brown'- a 'Kays' catalogue, a letter about catalogue insurance taken out by 'A Brown' and an item from the catalogue (a DVD).

 

Normally I'd think it's nothing to do with me and bin the lot- however, I could see that with the insurance that they'd be wanting installments paying and that it'd end up being liable to my address.

 

So i ring them and, after a bit of a runaround, find that it's an attempted fraud, where the fraudster has ordered a low value item, sent to a innocent victims address (mine), then tried to order expensive items under the same name, sent to a different address (presumably one they can pick up the goods from).

 

Clearly the catalogue company was aware of the fraud as they reckoned they'd cancelled the order- no sign that they were actually going to bother informing me of it though!

 

So, I make sure the insurance is cancelled and that they're clear that 'A Brown' does not live at my address, plus get them to promise to send a letter verifying all the above (in case of future repercussions).

 

I'm advised by them that there's no need or reason to contact the police, as the fraud was against their company, not me.

 

As far as I'm concerned, this was actually a fraud attempt affecting me, or potentially affecting me (if it hadn't been spotted for example), so I'm planning to contact the police.

 

I'm expecting a fob-off attempt, with the police saying they're too busy to deal with it.

 

However, I know that the catalogue company have info that they won't release to me (due to 'data protection'- I guess it's really important to protect scam artists personal details! ) specifically, a mobile number.

 

So actually, I would like the police to get involved, if only so they can get that info.

 

I'm posting this to see if anyone else has had this tried on them (fairly likely- I've found out today that at least one other person in my small street has had the same stuff through the post).

 

And, if so, did you manage to get anywhere with following it up, or, is there anything else I should be doing to make sure this doesn't risk bad credit notices going on my address etc?

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I think you can look at your credit online?

 

I would be tempted to have a credit score done, think its only a few quid and contact trading standards and see what they have to say about Kays trading standards may know what action Kays hould be taking, I certainly would not be happy if it was me.

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The company will have their own 'police' working on their behalf. They do take this kind of thing seriously. If your credit rating was affected then they would be liable to repair it, however as the order was cancelled before you even called them then there should be no repercussions. As for the catalogue company protecting 'scam artists personal details' due to data protection - this unfortunately is the law!

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I saw an advert on tv last night for a website where you can check your credit rating online. Not sure of the exact name, but it was something like Experian. You could try googling that and see what it brings up.

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We moved house but had our mail forwarded and discovered someone had tried to order goods using our name and address but the catalogue firm had realised something was up and did not deliver. We also got a letter to our new address from a finance firm saying they had arranged a loan for someone we had never heard of (certainly not previous owner) I phoned the finance firm and they had their security department contact me for details. The worst one was a court summons wrongly addressed and we had police round to ascertain the person definitely had never lived there and was unknown to us. That was scary.

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I contacted the police and, as expected, they're not going to do anything.

 

Apparently I'm not the complainant, the catalogue company is and, as they're not going to pursue it, nothing will happen.

 

It's a little frustrating knowing that the catalogue company have at least one bit of personal info about the fraudster (their mobile number), yet the police aren't going to contact them to get it.

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I contacted the police and, as expected, they're not going to do anything.

 

Apparently I'm not the complainant, the catalogue company is and, as they're not going to pursue it, nothing will happen.

 

It's a little frustrating knowing that the catalogue company have at least one bit of personal info about the fraudster (their mobile number), yet the police aren't going to contact them to get it.

 

mobile number means nothing nowadays, its probably long gone by now and none traceable. I would just keep an eye on your post and make sure you securley destroy and confidential post.

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My son had this done to him. He had a letter from QVC - thanking him for his custom and order, which had been delivered to a London address. He rang QVC and they gave him the full postal address, date and time of order, mobile phone number, and details of what he had allegedly ordered! (a home entertainment system worth about £1,000), They somehow managed to use his TSB bank account to pay for the goods - and had also used the account in numerous other outlets.

 

He took all the details to the Police and has not heard anything since - and that was a couple of years ago! He was fully compensated by the bank.

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The cat comp will have a fraud team, who will be dealing with this.

 

This kind of thing happens all the time as your first order must go to your billing address, This was set up to initially help prevent fraud!

 

Obtaining the phone details is useless as this will probably duff too!

 

I would check with other companies that you havnt got acounts with them as normally if they have tried 1 company they will have tried many! If they haddnt taken out insurance you may have discarded it like you say!

 

Good luck and make sure you shred EVERYTHING from now on, even things that are junk you dont open.

 

By the way did you know that someone can open an account in someone elses name and as long as they pay for the goods there is nothing that can be done! (legally that is).

 

Claire

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This happened to my other half we moved into our current house a few years ago but a couple of years ago she received a letter from Littlewoods saying she owed £700, when she rang apparetly someone living at our old address had been ordering goods in her name luckily they didnt know her D.O.B and had used their own so she just sent a copy of her Passport to prove it was not her and they dropped the case.

 

But it is not pleasant to know people are using your name its pointless telling the police they are not interested.

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I had a house exchange and the person used my sirname and next doors first name and did 5 catalogue companys. I got blacklisted. I could get a new car i went for and then i had credit checks done they told me who it was on the lists i got from them, so then she did an exchange from the old house of mine and then went on to use the other womas name. they can only get off with so much surely.

its is wrong how theycan get off with it and we get the bills. i usd to have baliffs knocking on my door everyday. it soon stopped after i found out. have seen her since but have not even approached her as she is a violent person.

i have learned my lessson, shred everything with your address on. or bank details. vital in this day and age.

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:mad: The previous person who lived in my house had a loan out when i was living here and i rung the police and they said its upto the loan company to press charges!! i was so mad, i cant get credit now cos they have black listed my house.:mad:

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