Greater Anglia fraud investigation email

[Sopra]

Hi everyone,


I’ve received the generic Greater Anglia investigation letter/email and have 5 days to reply.


I’ve read a lot of the previous threads on here, and many people suggest ignoring it. However, I haven’t really found anyone who can confirm whether Greater Anglia actually dropped the case after being ignored.


My concern is that they may already have some evidence and are simply waiting to challenge it later.


Has anyone here been in the same situation with the generic “industry data” letter? If so, did you ignore it, reply asking for clarification, or do something else? Most importantly, what was the eventual outcome?


Thanks in advance.

 

[Haywain]

If you haven't been stopped, you should ignore the letter (or email, which is it?). They have insufficient evidence to bring forward a prosecution. You should also stop whatever it is that you have been doing (if you weren't doing anything wrong you wouldn't be worrying that they have evidence) and pay the correct fare for your journeys from now on.

 

[Sopra]

If you haven't been stopped, you should ignore the letter (or email, which is it?). They have insufficient evidence to bring forward a prosecution. You should also stop whatever it is that you have been doing (if you weren't doing anything wrong you wouldn't be worrying that they have evidence) and pay the correct fare for your journeys from now o

There are a few mistakes I may have made, but I believe one of them is scanning a ticket at the barrier immediately after buying it.

 

[flitwickbeds]

There are a few mistakes I may have made, but I believe one of them is scanning a ticket at the barrier immediately after buying it.

To enter or exit the station?

 

[Sopra]

To enter or exit the station?

To exit.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Sopra. That suggests that you didn't have a valid ticket before you boarded the train you presumably would have travelled on.

A further issue might be if the ticket scanned at the barrier (to get through the barrier) was supposedly only from a nearby station, and GA are of the opinion that you travelled from further afield.

 

[Haywain]

I believe one of them is scanning a ticket at the barrier immediately after buying it.

Which is evidence that they don't quite have, because they haven't identified that you were the person using the ticket. So, in future make sure that before boarding any train you already have a ticket that covers your full journey.

 

[Swedenorer]

I’ve read a lot of the previous threads on here, and many people suggest ignoring it. However, I haven’t really found anyone who can confirm whether Greater Anglia actually dropped the case after being ignored.

You won't know. Their automated system will churn on for a bit and maybe stop. You'll just have to assume they've given up. They've achieved their objective already anyway.

 

[Tetchytyke]

They know that someone using your account bought a ticket just before the ticket was scanned at a barrier; this means the ticket was not valid.

I’d also wager that that ticket was also between [common short faring station pair].

What they don’t know is who was using the ticket and whether that ticket did or didn’t cover the full journey. The only way they get that evidence is by you admitting it.

What happens next is down to your risk appetite. The emails will continue if you don’t reply.

But if you do reply then you’re giving them the ammunition they need to secure a settlement from you. That settlement will be based on the fares that you should have paid for the journeys you actually undertook. Replying gives you certainty but it is, therefore, an expensive sort of certainty.

PS it goes without saying that your card is marked. Buy the correct ticket and buy it before you board.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

PS it goes without saying that your card is marked. Buy the correct ticket and buy it before you board.

TfL will sometimes issue a warning instead of prosecution. Perhaps the email barrage from Greater Anglia can be looked at in the same light as a warning to desist from short faring, buying on board, claiming railcard discounts without a railcard etc.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Perhaps the email barrage from Greater Anglia can be looked at in the same light as a warning to desist

Absolutely. I fully support them putting the fear of God up people who aren’t paying their fares.