Identity Fraud

[Hipper]

I received an interesting letter today and I'm not sure how to deal with it.

It is dated 'April 2019' (i.e. no specific date) and addressed Dear Michael (my first name), not 'Mr xxxx'. It is from Capital One and says that they have discovered that someone may have used my personal information to create a 'Capital One CreditWise account'.

Capital One and Creditwise seem to be legitimate operations but I can't find anything on Google that relates to this type of letter. I don't have any business with either of them.

They give me no address or telephone number to contact, although there is a registered office [in Nottingham] in the small print at the bottom of the page.

They ask me to e-mail them, giving me their e-mail address, confirming or denying that I have a Creditwise account - I don't. If I say 'No' they will e-mail me to let me know how 'we'll resolve the issue'.

Meanwhile to protect my data they have 'blocked the account in my name'.

There is no evidence yet that I have suffered any fraudulent activity.

What should I do?

I could e-mail them but then they get my e-mail address (it seems odd they don't already have this). Of course I can write or phone using their online details.

[FactualFrank]

What should I do?

What's the email address? I would try typing that into Google and also in a separate search enter bits of the letter, to see if somebody else has received the same. If they have and they've put the letter in a messageboard thread, it could show in the results.

[Imploding Turtle]

what email address do that ask you to contact them on? (Don't)

[Bosscat]

I received an interesting letter today and I'm not sure how to deal with it.

It is dated 'April 2019' (i.e. no specific date) and addressed Dear Michael (my first name), not 'Mr xxxx'. It is from Capital One and says that they have discovered that someone may have used my personal information to create a 'Capital One CreditWise account'.

Capital One and Creditwise seem to be legitimate operations but I can't find anything on Google that relates to this type of letter. I don't have any business with either of them.

They give me no address or telephone number to contact, although there is a registered office [in Nottingham] in the small print at the bottom of the page.

They ask me to e-mail them, giving me their e-mail address, confirming or denying that I have a Creditwise account - I don't. If I say 'No' they will e-mail me to let me know how 'we'll resolve the issue'.

Meanwhile to protect my data they have 'blocked the account in my name'.

There is no evidence yet that I have suffered any fraudulent activity.

What should I do?

I could e-mail them but then they get my e-mail address (it seems odd they don't already have this). Of course I can write or phone using their online details.

Photocopy the letter and forward it to abuse@capitalone.com if its genuine they will let you know....

[Devils_Advocate]

Just get Capital One's proper number off their official website and contact them through that to see whats going on

Try this https://www.capitalone.co.uk/support/contact-us.jsf

[Imploding Turtle]

If someone is using your identity for credit then you should be able to identify this on a credit report. You can get a copy for about £2. But i better option might be to get a trial of Credit Expert and check your credit report on there. If there are any unfamiliar credit accounts on there then you should contact the police.

https://www.creditexpert.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NL Claret]

About 6 years ago I had 3 iPhones ordered in my name and none turned up! Direct debits were set up etc.

As mentioned above experian is an option and I also contacted cifas who offered some excellent advice over the phone.

[thatdberight]

I received an interesting letter today and I'm not sure how to deal with it.

It is dated 'April 2019' (i.e. no specific date) and addressed Dear Michael (my first name), not 'Mr xxxx'. It is from Capital One and says that they have discovered that someone may have used my personal information to create a 'Capital One CreditWise account'.

Capital One and Creditwise seem to be legitimate operations but I can't find anything on Google that relates to this type of letter. I don't have any business with either of them.

They give me no address or telephone number to contact, although there is a registered office [in Nottingham] in the small print at the bottom of the page.

They ask me to e-mail them, giving me their e-mail address, confirming or denying that I have a Creditwise account - I don't. If I say 'No' they will e-mail me to let me know how 'we'll resolve the issue'.

Meanwhile to protect my data they have 'blocked the account in my name'.

There is no evidence yet that I have suffered any fraudulent activity.

What should I do?

I could e-mail them but then they get my e-mail address (it seems odd they don't already have this). Of course I can write or phone using their online details.

If you give me your date of birth, full name and mother's maiden name, I'll check it out for you.

[Texanclaret16]

Having worked in banking for 15 years I would always contact the bank, credit card or company directly using the official number from the website. In my place of work any suspected fraud the bank itself would contact the customer and would never ask for any specific details. So basically echo what others have said contact them directly using the official number.

Great call on the credit report check though as some reports don’t always have everything on them so although a great option I would still contact the company direct.

[Paul Waine]

I received an interesting letter today and I'm not sure how to deal with it.

It is dated 'April 2019' (i.e. no specific date) and addressed Dear Michael (my first name), not 'Mr xxxx'. It is from Capital One and says that they have discovered that someone may have used my personal information to create a 'Capital One CreditWise account'.

Capital One and Creditwise seem to be legitimate operations but I can't find anything on Google that relates to this type of letter. I don't have any business with either of them.

They give me no address or telephone number to contact, although there is a registered office [in Nottingham] in the small print at the bottom of the page.

They ask me to e-mail them, giving me their e-mail address, confirming or denying that I have a Creditwise account - I don't. If I say 'No' they will e-mail me to let me know how 'we'll resolve the issue'.

Meanwhile to protect my data they have 'blocked the account in my name'.

There is no evidence yet that I have suffered any fraudulent activity.

What should I do?

I could e-mail them but then they get my e-mail address (it seems odd they don't already have this). Of course I can write or phone using their online details.

Hi Hipper, the letter is a scam. If you replied, I'd expect the first question they'd ask is can you give us your personal information - just so we can compare it with what "was used to open the account...." Except there is no account - and until you give them your info they don't have any personal info.

I've often received emails - and sometimes txt - about the account in my name with bank X or Y or Z. Every time it's been from a bank that I don't have an account with. The way to deal with it is to put it through the shredder - and the reason I say shred it, is because maybe they got your name from a letter you'd put in the bin with your name and address on it.

If it was your own bank's name on the letter, then contact them in the way you always contact them. Don't use the email or tel number on the letter.

[Hipper]

Thanks all.

The e-mail address ends '@capitalone.com' which seems legit.

I've tried Googling the full e-mail address and the opening paragraph but nothing turns up.

I'll phone there fraud line next week.

[thatdberight]

Thanks all.

The e-mail address ends '@capitalone.com' which seems legit.

I've tried Googling the full e-mail address and the opening paragraph but nothing turns up.

I'll phone there fraud line next week.

Don't wait. Fraud are always available.

[dpinsussex]

Thanks all.

The e-mail address ends '@capitalone.com' which seems legit.

I've tried Googling the full e-mail address and the opening paragraph but nothing turns up.

I'll phone there fraud line next week.

Do it now.

Delaying it is asking for more trouble

[Hipper]

One recent incident occurred to me. I pay in the odd check to my bank account through the post using my banks pre-addressed envelopes. This has only been happening in the last year. A couple of months ago one of these cheques plus paying in slip did not arrive. I wonder if someone had got it and tried to open a bank account in my name. I'm guessing given my name and bank account details (no address), and perhaps the location of posting on the envelope, more of my details could have been obtained

[Hipper]

I've since discovered that other people in my block of flats have had the identical letter (except for using their name and address - we all have the same post code) including the same reference number.

One person did e-mail them back and got a return e-mail saying they would decline the credit application and put a mark on their name to prevent further attempts.

I had returned my letter using their envelope with return address saying that it was nothing to do with me. Today I got a second letter saying virtually the same thing which I've similarly returned.

What are CapitalOne up to? Surely they have not got a number of people in my block of flats with completely different financial arrangements all suffering from this attempted fraud?

[Claretmatt4]

Bin the letter and use the free post envelope to send them some petrified dog sh*t?

[SammyBoy]

I sent a screen shot of your post to my mate who works in anti fraud for Capital One’s head office in Nottingham and he said it’s a legit letter.