Loan fraud - help required

"yeh right"

Blackmail.

How would this hurt the children?

Go to the police or be resigned to losing 4 grand. Simple choice.

A number of ways. The children might have to go into care while mum is in jail or they might see the Police at home and wonder what mum (or dad) had done wrong. I think the poster is right to try to avoid Police action - but if she has forged his signature once she could easily do it again.

Hmm, perhaps the dad could look after them? Maybe he already does while the feckless mum is out committing forgery?

Maybe that would be a good lesson if old enough, if young enough they wont be affected.

Indeed, what a great lesson for her, forge away she's got him by the short and curlies.

I wonder if its possible to xfer a loan over to the mother? I'm guessing not or she would have been able to pay it off anyway.

Are you sure that you have to go to the police? The crime has been committed against the *bank* although your ID has been used - the bank is the "victim" of the crime not you. Surely it's up to the *bank* to do the donkey work, as the OP is in no way liable for this debt.

Thanks for your reply. The bank told me that a name cannot be removed from a joint account unless a crime reference number is produced.

We have only recently separated which is how I came to find the letter about this. She had been paying it off each month as far as I can see. The children are in my care and our daughter especially is missing her mum. She is at the age where she knows what is going on and she is already scared at the thought of her mum getting into trouble. I do not want her going through any more.

The mum has some mental health issues and I know she meant no harm. She's just not very bright and I do not really want to see her in trouble if I can avoid it.

She did this while we were living together. Now I am in the process of removing her from the tenancy agreement, I would hope it would be more difficult for her to do this.

The loan company said she needed to produce evidence of who I was but my ex is adament she just forged my signature and didn't provide any evidence. Surely there must be some safeguards?

While the loan company has said a name cannot be removed from a joint account unless a crime reference number is received, it would be possible for someone to take out a loan to pay off this one. I am pushing for the mother to do this but I guess with the interest on top it would be a lot of money and I doubt she will do it.

"Tumbleweed" wrote

Of course it is - simply get a settlement figure, mother takes out new loan for that amount and uses the money to pay off the existing loan. [But only if mother can get a loan for that amount!]

Well I must say that is a very refreshing attitude, you've restored a bit of my faith in the human race.

I have again contacted the credit company, this time for a settlement figure should the mother agree to take out a loan, and also for a copy of the contract.

They again reiterated that a crime reference would be required to clear my name from the account, and that should I follow this up they will prosecute my ex.

I kept pressing the point that they surely shouldn't have accepted 'my' signature without evidence. Eventually they put me through to their fraud dept. The helpful guy there simply told me to fax through documentary evidence of my signature such as a drivers license, and told me they would disassociate me with the account if it proves not to be my signature. They will also not prosecute in this case.

They need to get a copy of the contract from their archive which will take approximately 5 days. So until then I am keeping my fingers crossed she didn't make a good copy of my signature.

Thanks for all the assistance.

mart

A joint one with Son-In-Law? :)

Ex-son-in-law thank you very much! LOL

Heheh, good man.

"Tumbleweed" wrote

I would be inclined to go the police. She committed a serious crime, as well as an unforgiveable breach of personal trust.

The huge dowside is that she is most unlikely to go to jail, but unless she does she retains the ultimate mother's weapon: preventing the father seeing the kids.

In this situation, he has to write off the 4k and put it down to experience. And hope she hasn't done a few other loan applications like this one!

I had this sort of situation with my ex when I was moving out. She blew away 4k (coincidence!) on the joint CC. Being a joint CC I could do nothing anyway and I did actually forget about it - she told me that unless I agreed to [a very long list, including the house] I would never see the kids again. I didn't think she would have actually done it, but I wasn't taking the risk. I had (and have) the income to start again, which I did. When the kids reach 18 or whatever, I shall delight in telling her to f*ck off for good :)

Fortunately for me the kids are with me. I would never prevent my kids from seeing her and do not want them visiting her in jail.