James
Someone has recently impersonated my husband eight times and we would like to pursue this further. What would be the next step for us? We are very concerned that one day this person may get through security checks and cause us great problems. We never give details over the phone and are very careful who we talk to. Please could you give me some advice? Thank you.
Tracey, Aberdeenshire
Tracey
If you think this person could have used your husband's identity to get credit, advise your husband to get a copy of his credit report. He will then be able to spot any applications or accounts that don't belong to him. If there are any, he should call our Consumer Help Service or contact us online and ask for Experian's Victims of Fraud team. They will give him free help and advice to remove any fraudulent entries.
More importantly, perhaps, we will help him protect his credit report to stop anyone using his information in future. He should also contact the CIFAS Protective Registration Service (www.cifas.org.uk). For a fee, they will put a warning on your husband's credit reports held by all credit reference agencies, which most lenders will see when carrying out a credit check. The warning will tell them to ask extra questions to confirm the identity and address of the person applying. A CIFAS warning may mean his credit applications take a little longer to process but it is worth this inconvenience.
Finally, your husband should contact the police immediately as a crime has been committed. They should at least be able to give you a crime number.
James