Question
Hi,
I have seen on your web site you have answered questions like mine before, but I want to see what your thoughts are.
I lived with my partner for 10 years, he had and still has a bad gambling addiction. We are no longer together mostly due to his gambling. He would gamble every penny he had, and even borrowed money from friends to gamble. He is so much debt it is a tragedy.
Recently I had applied for a credit card with a low interest rate and was denied. I have excellent credit and a high credit score, so I could not understand being rejected like that.
I ordered a copy of my credit report and there are 3 accounts on there I don’t know about. All 3 are showing in arrears, and one is defaulted. I started to suspect my ex took out these loans in my name to gamble as his credit is so bad. So I confronted him about this and he stated he had taken out the loans.
I don’t know what to do! I cannot afford to repay these accounts and they have ruined my credit. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Josie
Answer
Josie,
I am sorry to hear of what you are experiencing, and indeed it is a bad situation all the way around. Your ex took advantage of the fact he knew your details and applied for credit. Gambling can be a very addictive disease.
You do have a few options, but none are guaranteed, and it could get messy.
Contact the lenders for the accounts involved and explain your situation, and what has occurred. Their records may show some details that can help your case about the accounts.
In essence taking out a loan in someone else’s name is fraud, and a crime.
You can report the fraud to Action Fraud.
The damage done to your credit file is going to be difficult to fix, at least at first, and it will take some work.
Once a fraud case has been filed, you can contact the credit bureaus to make them aware of this, and follow their procedures on how they can make a note on your credit report.
I have heard of extreme cases where you may need to file a police report on the fraud and get a report number. This would mean you giving details of your ex and what he has done.
Your first call is going to be the lenders reporting the fraudulent accounts, then Action Fraud.
Let me know more as you do this, and I can advise further and we can take the next steps.
Regards,
Jon