Identity Theft - Case Study 1

Vikki Anderson, 29, a bank worker from Uxbridge UK.
When Vikki Anderson had her handbag stolen last July, she knew she was in trouble.

She was moving home and her passport and key personal documents were in the stolen bag.

"I cancelled everything that day, including my passport and reported the theft to the police. But I was still worried about the possibility of ID theft."

Vikki's nervousness was justified when she received a call from a car loan broker asking her when she would like her new loan repayments to start.

Vikki had not bought a car.

"I told them that whoever had applied for the loan was not me and decided to check my credit record immediately."

Vikki found that a fraudster had used the stolen ID to obtain car loans worth more than £20,000 in her name.

Vikki also found that two direct debits had been set up on her bank account without her knowledge.

After a month, the loan company concluded that a fraud had taken place and told Vikki that she would not be liable for the loan.

I still fear that the fraudsters will strike again, even though I have done everything I can to stop it from happening   Vikki Anderson

"The fraudsters have caused a serious amount of damage.

"I was recently turned down for a credit card because my credit rating has been damaged."

Vikki is trying to get the two major credit reference agencies, Experian and Equifax, to amend her credit record.

"The whole process is not something I would want to repeat, I have spent hundreds of hours trying to sort everything.

"I still fear that the fraudsters will strike again, even though I have done everything I can to stop it from happening."

However, according to Vikki, one good thing has come of the experience:

"The day that the fraud emerged my boyfriend bought me a shredder which we now use."