Am I being lied to?

I wouldn't be at all happy about this, especially if what you know of this woman isn't good. My DS has returned several official-looking letters to a bank recently, clearly marking on them that the addressee was not known there. Still they kept on coming. Fortunately, my little DGS tore the last one open. It's a very serious demand for a substantial sum owed by this unknown person to the bank. Without knowing that, how could my DS ever have begun to sort this out?

When you open a bank account you are not required to personally go into the bank with your credentials, you can either do it over the phone or online.
The bank then verify your details via the electoral register and credit reference agencies.
In certain instances they may require more proof/details and they will contact you if this is the case.
Having myself opened two more bank accounts since September this year, (M&S and Ikano) I know these are the facts.

Buffybee unless it’s all changed what you said Is incorrect I had a student stay with me who ran up debts and they did blacken my rating by my address until they left and I could prove it wasn’t me

This doesn't sound 'straight' at all. Alarm bells would certainly be ringing for me.
Suggest have nothing further to do with it and don't forward the debit card. now that you have opened it, dispose of it (your idea of cutting it up sounds good). Don't open any more post from the bank, return them.

Ah! That does sound very dodgy now! Dew

Oh goodness youre naive Buffybee And yes the credit rating can be affected by address.

Next plc (Directory) do not complete due diligence on accounts opened online. Anyone, knowing your name and DOB, can open an account, order goods, lodge a credit card that is not ascribed to your address and have goods delivered to a completely different country.
Their Ts & Cs plainly state that they may do this or that in order to verify your card or other details. The fact is that they do not.
The first thing you know about it is when the fraudster defaults and you start getting letters from debt collection agencies. Beware. All they need is a name and DOB.

I have emailed the bank and advised them that she doesn't live there. Thanks everyone for your advice.

My daughter's credit rating was not affected by her boyfriend's activity.

Your credit rating will not be affected if you disassociate yourself from the debt by any one of a number of means.

I thought the address didnt count anymore, it used to, but im sure it changed so only the actual person who is in debt was affected
I have had debt letters come to my address for a son, who uses my address as a postal address,
Although the debt wasnt taken out here,and my credit rating is perfect,as i recently applied for a credit card and was accepted,

Thank you Nannanbut I am far from naive!
It was my understanding that it was the person responsible for the debt who would get a bad credit rating.
No need to be rude!

valeriej43
You don't have to have a 'perfect' credit rating in order to be granted a credit card.
A 'fair' rating can often be accepted by the majority of well known lenders at the normal rates of interest. It's the ability to make regular payments and, if you fall behind, to address the default.

Buffybee There can be repercussions from someone using your address. I had a problem with a neighbour who was on income support and used my address to register cars that he was selling on the side. He would then drive them with complete disregard for road traffic law which resulted in summonses, notices and eventually bailiff's notices coming to my address.
I opened them so that I could inform the various bodies that they were nothing to do with me and most were understanding. I also informed the police and handed a pile of the post to them. They weren't concerned that I had opened this post (there was no other way to find the registration numbers concerned and to contact DVLC about it) and said that he was known to them but that they would have to catch him driving the car to do anything about it.
The only organisation that made a comment about me opening his post was TFL (Transport for London) which was the only one that was snotty and unhelpful. They promised to call off the bailiff and then sent more warning notices.
There is no way of knowing what other purposes this girl has used that address for. The fact that she would do that shows that she is not honest. A bad credit record can attach to an address. Bailiffs can turn up to your address which is unpleasant and they are hard to get rid of. It is also an infringement and bad manners.
According to Money Saving Expert 'It is perfectly legal to open any and all mail delivered to your house, no matter to whom it is addressed.'
That is not the same as stealing someone's post. People need to know why there address is being used an it can cause all kinds of problems.

It may not be so easy to have the bank do anything. We had a joint account then when I lost my DH I contacted the bank to tell them and ask for the account to be just me know. I was told to send the death certificate off to them,had to send it to a couple but the one that is online returned it saying it was only the copy and they had to have original, I contacted the the registry and was told they keep the original and what I had been sending is what should have been accepted,he will have been gone a year on Boxing Day but his name is still on my bank.
I also found a lot of places that he had accounts with wouldn’t even talk to me because he hadn’t given me permission.
Best of luck,does sound dodgy

I find it frightening how many people on here contribute their tuppence worth of advice without real knowledge on the subject. Certainly say what you believe but make it clear it is simply an opinion.
OP please go with the advice given by those who work/worked in the banking industry. Do NOT allow this person to use your mother's address. Contact the bank immediately.

Any mail with my address gets opened. How on earth are you going to be aware of what is going on with regards use of your address if you don't do this.
A bit of light reading for you
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/part/V/crossheading/offences-of-interfering-with-the-mail
I don't think even the judges could decipher that.
I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for opening mail inside your address that has been posted to your address.

I wouldn't trust that girl as far as I could throw her. Your mother needs to go to the bank (go with her yourself) to settle this disturbing matter as soon as possible.

my son opened his bank account without proof online he had to go into the bank to sign and show photographic id thst was all .

valeriej43 is correct in saying that the address isn't taken into account any more.
Its the credit history of the applicant that matters. www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/what-affects-score.html

Madmum38 I am sorry to hear of your problems with the bank. This summer I was executor of my dad's will and had no problem with the banks. When I registered the death I bought extra copies of the death certificate as they offered me that opportunity. All the establishments I sent it to returned it to me after taking copies.

I know from experience that the address is not taken into account any more but having said that it is very unpleasant to receive phone calls and letters from the credit companies as they sound quite threatening and it took a year to convince them that he no longer lived with my daughter as there were so many of them. I do not believe they ever caught up with my DD's boyfriend.

I'm glad to hear that her address won't be affected as I can't be sure at this time that it was only this one account that was opened.

Dew You will soon find out when post begins to arrive.

I discovered last year just before Christmas that someone had set up an account with Studio.co.uk when I received a cheap pack of Christmas cards. I immediately rang them and told them I had not ordered them. They assured me that they would escalate this with their fraud department. I then received another invoice from them saying I owed them £40. I rang again and again was told there was a hold on my account. The next letter I received was to say I owed £500 - the maximum amount that was available. I rang again and sent a very snotty email. It took 5 months for them to admit they had made a mistake and my credit rating would not be affected. I could not believe they let someone get away with this and where were the goods they were buying being sent to I wondered. It is so easy these days for people to use your identity it would seem and your address.

Valerie and others
I did say it might have changed it was a number of years ago when I was advised my address had been affected by a lodger so hopefully it’s all different now

go to the bank and ask them why iy was so easy to use your mothers address. explain the situation to the manager. this is not right.