'I received a final demand letter for a phone I never owned'
Do you have an issue you need put right? Which? is here to help get your consumer problems sorted.
Dear Which?,
When I checked my post, I noticed an envelope with 'final demand notice' written in large capital letters on it.
The letter said I owed a debt for a phone to ID Mobile, a mobile network owned by Currys. I've never had a phone with this provider.
I tried to contact ID Mobile via the email address on the letter, but didn’t receive a response, so I tried its live chat facility. However, I needed to provide the phone number to receive help, which of course I didn't have as I never owned the phone.
With no other way of getting into contact, I've decided to send a letter by recorded delivery to try and get the issue resolved.
Is there anything else I can do?
Anonymous
Put to Rights
Tali Ramsey, consumer rights expert at Which?, says:
If you receive a letter out of the blue from a company you're unfamiliar with, there's a good chance it's a scam, or a case of identity theft.
I contacted ID Mobile and Currys on your behalf. They found that the account in question was fraudulent, removed it and cleared it from your credit report.
Unfortunately, this might not be the end of the matter. Now a fraudster has your personal data, they may try and exploit it further.
Common forms of identity fraud include opening bank accounts, taking out credit cards and loans or obtaining documents such as a driving licence in your name.
It's not always easy to work out how a fraudster has accessed your personal information. It could be from a website you use suffering a data breach, you entering your details on an unsecured site, or even someone going through your rubbish.
As a starting point, you should change all of your passwords and keep a close eye on your credit report. If you see something you don't recognise, report it to the credit reference agency. This will prompt the company involved to review the issue. You should also contact your bank and file a report with Action Fraud.
Need to know
- Find out more about how identity theft works.
- Discover what to do if you're a victim of mistaken identity.
- Learn about Experian's new tool to protect your credit score from potential scammers.
Get in touch. If you've got a consumer rights problem you need put right, email us at yourstory@which.co.uk.
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