Over the last couple of days it's been brought to my attention that I have been the subject of identity theft, or as the National Fraud & Intelligence bureau put it 'Identity Fraud'. I really hope the person who did it is reading this, and know that they've been rattled.
Here's what happened.
A contact lens brand (which shall remain nameless) contacted me on Twitter and private messaged me on Facebook to chase up my contact lens review - it had been 3+ months since the products were sent, and still no review. I replied saying they had the wrong person, since I don't wear contact lenses, and that I'd never heard from them (no emails etc).
After a bit of discussion, we realised we'd both been scammed. They had been contacted by someone who had duplicated my email address, just swapping over 2 of the letters, and signing it off as me, and stating this blog, asking for contact lenses to review.
Once they had been delivered, the fake Georgina Kent went quiet on them, and has remained quiet since. Of course, once I realised they were using my name & my blog to get 'free stuff' under the guise of reviewing it, I called the police. As it's not technically a crime, they passed me on to Action Fraud which sit under the police and are part of the National fraud & intelligence bureau. They were great, they took down all the details, including her address in California and mobile phone number (I have a copy of all emails between her and the contact lens brand) and uploaded it to the fraud database.
So hopefully, if anyone else reports her, it'll join up with my case and be flagged up - silly though, getting her address flagged up on the fraud database, I wonder if that'll effect the ability to get credit and things like that?
If you are a brand who has been through this with the fake Georgina Kent, please please get in contact with me - my correct and true email address is georgeistired@gmail.com - as noted on the disclaimer page of my blog. Also, please make sure that you aren't sending samples to America - I did previously have my bio stating that it was a 'Cardiff based' beauty blog, it's now been updated to say UK - just to be clear.
I just hope they haven't defrauded anyone else using my name and my blog - each instance will be reported to both the police, and Action Fraud.
Oh my goodness. Shocked that this has happened but so glad to be aware in case it is on the increase in the future. Shocked that it happened all the way from California too! Well done for raising awareness of this and I hope it is the end of it for you xxx
ReplyDeleteMy god, that's terrible. It worries me with having such an unusual name, just how easy it would be to get scammed or cloned. Glad you've sorted it with that brand and I hope that nothing else turns up xx
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! That's so scary!! I can't believe someone would do that, especially just for some contact lenses!? So lucky you found out!
ReplyDeleteC x
Lux Life
Gosh that's creepy! I can't believe someone would do that, I hope there wasn't many other brands that had this happen to x
ReplyDeleteGosh, that's terrible. Some people really are such lowlifes. Good job you found out . I wonder how many other brands have been duped? When I was editor of a magazine, someone tried to approach local venues in the magazine's name to get review tickets. Luckily, all the venues knew me, so alerted me straight away, but it's crazy that this kind of thing happens. x
ReplyDeleteI know - I dread to think, and I dread to think if they've done it using my name and blog :/ Wow that's terrible with the magazine, luckily people flagged it to you x
ReplyDeleteThanks, and thanks for sharing the post :) Yeah, crazy, can't believe they even thought to do this, do devious. Well, I wanted to blog about it to show that I won't stand for it, and every time an instance is flagged to me, I'm reporting it to the fraud bureau, if needed I'll get in touch with Californian police too.
ReplyDeleteI know it's awful. Yeah I feel really sorry for the brand, they've had theft...
ReplyDeleteI know, for 2 sets of prescription lenses... I hope the police get them.
ReplyDeleteI know, I really hope it was just the one...
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely awful and so incredibly scary! Pretending to be someone else just for contact lenses?! Ridiculous! I'm glad you found out lovely! I hope it doesn't happen again!!
ReplyDeleteThat's so crazy!
ReplyDeleteIt's scary how easy it was for them to do as well. At least you've found out now and her address can be used. Good job the brand took the email from your site instead of just replying to the one she sent or you'd have never found out!
xxx
www.adrugstoreaddiction.com
Well that's just it - they'd tried emailing her several times and she'd ignored them - so they took to Twitter/Facebook in desperation, and quite rightly!
ReplyDeleteI know it's crazy isn't it! And to think she had got away with it...
ReplyDeleteOh how awful! So sorry this happened to you, but I think you handled a difficult situation well. I had somebody copy entire pages of my blog last year and host them on a different site, but I was fortunately able to get their site closed down. Some people, eh? x
ReplyDeleteWow! What a horrible thing to do! I hope they catch the scum of a person who is doing this!
ReplyDeleteThat is so awful, and so frustrating!
ReplyDeleteSophie x
I cannot begin to imagine how you must feel to know that there is someone out there who can go so low to do this and to try and ruin your reputation that you have worked so hard to build. I think you handled the situation very well and hope that this is the end and that you continue to create such an amazing blog. I hope they catch her and throw the book at her as she cannot go unpunished. Xxxx
ReplyDeleteblogsandpearls.blogspot.co.uk
Oh wow, this is absolutely horrible and am so sorry that this happened to you. All this just for a pair of free contact lens? Some people make me shake my head, terrible.
ReplyDeleteShireen | Reflection of Sanity
That is so awful. It is such a horrible thing to do. It makes you wonder how often this must happen and to how many other people as well. I hope she gets caught and can not try and do this again.
ReplyDeleteTake care and all the best.
Thanks :) Oh that's horrible :( It's good you got their site closed down :)
ReplyDeleteI know :/
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessica :) Yeah hopefully the brand will go to the police too as they have had someone stolen (they did say they were going to the police) - then they might actually catch her :)
ReplyDeleteYep, all for 2 pairs of contact lenses...
ReplyDeleteOMG I cannot believe this kind of thing can happen, wow... I am so sorry it happened to you and I am glad you have rumbled her/him/them and I do hope they are caught. I have many debit cards clones and it is a very stressful experience trying to justify it not being you, so I hope you are okay xx
ReplyDeleteI know - very horrible - never even entered my mind that someone would think up something like this
ReplyDeleteLets hope they do. X
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh I had no idea anyone would even think to do something like this. Crazy how desperate a person can be for a freebie!
ReplyDeleteYeah me neither... aww that sucks, I'm lucky that I've never had that happen, yet.
ReplyDeleteI know, some desperate or sad people out there.
ReplyDeleteThis is awful, I can't believe someone would go to the levels of doing this for free things. I hope you're okay. It's a good job you realised this happened before it got out of hand.
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xx
It's a shame someone is using your internet presence to get free products. However speaking as an American, I can say that much won't happen to the person. American authorities don't get too involved on the internet unless it involves cyber bullying/harassment or fraud using SSNs(social security numbers) or credit/debit information. I'm more than sure it won't affect her credit and because it was nothing more than a product that was sent for free to begin with they probably won't do much, if anything. On your end I imagine if she was to try to order anything else from the UK then she might get a notice from them, but in America it's common to use nicknames/fake names for safety reasons or for fun, so they won't do anything about it. Plus I know from most of their legal aspects that they would just say that the store/company should screen better. I feel bad for the contact lense company for losing a product and promotion. Basically, my point is that in America they don't consider it identity theft unless you take something personal that is assigned to just that one person(ID #, SSN, Credit Card #, etc.). Names are not considered identity theft for us, unless it's copyrighted, but even then there's a whole slew of laws on that, which I am not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteLastly, it sucks, because people doing things like this will just make it more complicating for brands to want to work with bloggers. So, I'm sorry someone is trying to use your following you worked hard for to get free items and I'm sorry they tricked a brand who works hard for their following. :|
I know me too - I didn't even think that this would even be a thing someone would do... yeah not sure, maybe, maybe not - if the contact lens brand contact their police (as it's stolen merchandise) then it might well all join up :)
ReplyDeleteI know - sad little person. Yeah I'm ok - just shocked!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alexis - yeah, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that she's pretty much got away with it. I know the brand are going to the police about it as she's basically stolen from them, but yeah, I doubt anything will actually happen, sadly. One of the main reasons I wanted to blog about it was incase she saw it, I want her to know that I know what she's up to - but more to the point I want it there for brands to see who want to work with me, or perhaps other brands that she's done this to might come back to the blog and see this, hopefully this will it'll redeem my reputation with those brands it might be damaged with :)
ReplyDeleteI completely understand that. Hopefully the brand will find a way to get into contact with her or they will find a way to handle it. The post is a good idea since it's something people will see. Just hopefully, in the future any brands that work with you or think they are will verify by going to your blog and seeing where you're located being able to verify it's actually you. I can understand you frustration, since it will make you look bad. I love reading your blog and know anyone would hate to go through what you had too. Hopefully you won't have to go through this again and hopefully this doesn't give you a bad view of Americans, haha! xx <3
ReplyDeleteI can't believe someone actually did that to you! I hope there hasn't been loads of other brands contacted in your name too :( no winder bloggers get bad names if you have people using your name to get freebies and not even write a review it's shocking!
ReplyDeleteRosy
Oh my gosh what a horrible thing to happen. Not only is this horrible for the brands, particularly smaller ones, but it also makes you look horrible and ruins your reputation and integrity as a blogger. I hope this person is caught! So sorry to hear this has happened! :(
ReplyDeleteI know, crazy isn't it! I know - I really hope that was the only brand she was successful with
ReplyDeleteI know - yeah not good with small brands when they'll have such a tiny marketing budget :/
ReplyDeleteThat's simply outrageous! Sorry that happened. But i guess "those people" will always find a way to trick someone. Glad that person has been identified as fraud!
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