Fradulent mobile contract taken out

[OneManBand]

I've just received an invoice from EE addressed to my company, for a mobile phone contract that has been taken out in the company's name.

I called EE and they have now opened a fraud investigaiton. It seems the scammers (thankfully) didn't get hold of my bank details (business or personal), because the bank details EE have on file against this contract are not mine. EE have locked the phone connection. The fraud team will be in touch.

Anyone else had anything similar happening to them, and what can I do to protect myself and the company in the future? I don't leave documents lying around, everything gets shredded.

[TestMangler]

Had similar happen years ago and only found out when I got credit checked for a gig and they claimed I hadn't disclosed a previous address in the last five years.

Couldn't work out what the scam was because it had happened 18 months before I found out. Whoever did it was paying the bill.

It was all sorted out with a couple of phone calls and data removed from credit file fairly quickly.

[OneManBand]

It was all sorted out with a couple of phone calls and data removed from credit file fairly quickly.

How did you remove the credit check records?

[MyUserName]

I got a letter from a car insurance company once saying they were cancelling my cover because I had not supplied a copy of my no claims bonus. I phoned them and asked what they were talking about and told them I had never heard of the car in question.

They cancelled the policy, said it was probably fraudulent and I never heard from them again. I was able to track the vehicle a little due to knowing the licence plate and various friends suggested retaliating but I had to point out that these people might be hardcore criminals and they know where I live.

[SueEllen]

They would have found your company details online via Companies House. Then found something else online that proved your company was legit as Companies House has loads of junk companies.

This prevents them changing company details with Companies House - Protect your company from corporate identity theft - GOV.UK

[ladymuck]

How did you remove the credit check records?

You contact the credit agencies and tell them the issue and they work with the respective companies to clear the data. It can take months until an investigation is concluded. You can't just go "oh yeah that default with Barclaycard isn't mine" and hit delete

[SueEllen]

I've been trying to find out what else you do to stop someone using your company details but apart from using PROOF, unlike with a person where you can get CIFAS Protective Registration, everything else is up to you. So as well as shredding documents you need to regularly check your company's credit file.

[mattster]

So what's the benefit to the fraudster in this case? Just curious.

[ladymuck]

So what's the benefit to the fraudster in this case? Just curious.

Sometimes they can set up the contract to yourCo address but ask for the phone to be shipped to a different address. They get a free phone, you get the bill. If they're quick and you're slow, they may be able to sell that phone on to some unsuspecting mug before the phone company block it.

[OneManBand]

So what's the benefit to the fraudster in this case? Just curious.

I'm assuming they're using the good credit rating of the company, so they can bag a £900 phone for themselves.