Please help- panic and gave false details and ran.

[TrainLover79]

Don’t under estimate the ability of the train companies to investigate. There’s a huge amount of data available to them.

Giving false details to a railway official is bad enough but don’t risk a change for perverting the course of justice. Perverting the course of justice is very serious and you could go to jail for that.

yeah that’s for sure , giving false details and/or preventing the course of justice is a serious offence.

You should always give the right details and be honest with what has happened.

 

[Nivea12]

Another vote for "wait and see if a letter arrives and what it says".

As others have said, giving false details (or refusing to give your own details) is in itself an offence, so you had better hope the company doesn't expend the resources to try and contact you. In reality, train companies kind of need to get a passenger's correct details at the time of the stop to have a good chance of making a case, as it is up to them to prove who committed the offence.

There is a good reason why the RPI tried to stop you; it is important for them to get you to talk and give over your details. if scanning the ticket was sufficient evidence on its own they wouldn't try to stop you.

You'll find your friend who ran away with you is certainly untraceable to the train company and will live to fight another day. Food for thought.

Yeah I guess so.

I mean I still gave details, just dodgy ones. Will have to see how it goes

Really daft of me

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2024 ==

yeah that’s for sure , giving false details and/or preventing the course of justice is a serious offence.

You should always give the right details and be honest with what has happened.

definitely

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2024 ==

Another vote for "wait and see if a letter arrives and what it says".

As others have said, giving false details (or refusing to give your own details) is in itself an offence, so you had better hope the company doesn't expend the resources to try and contact you. In reality, train companies kind of need to get a passenger's correct details at the time of the stop to have a good chance of making a case, as it is up to them to prove who committed the offence.

There is a good reason why the RPI tried to stop you; it is important for them to get you to talk and give over your details. if scanning the ticket was sufficient evidence on its own they wouldn't try to stop you.

You'll find your friend who ran away with you is certainly untraceable to the train company and will live to fight another day. Food for thought.

Makes sense.

Still, I’m sure they can get me through the wrong ticket I presented.

Just depends if they’re willing to go through all the hassle

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Just depends if they’re willing to go through all the hassle

They will if a) they can extract a lot of money out of you or b) they have enough evidence to secure a prosecution in the court

 

[Nivea12]

Right gotcha

Well.. not sure how they can ‘get a lot of money out of me’. There’s no evidence of me doing this before. Barely any journeys on Trainline at all.

There’s footage of me running off so they’ve got the evidence, and they scanned my e-ticket- I’m sure if they wanted to take me to court they 100% could. Just depends if they decide to come after me through my linked bank account ect.

If they do letter or email me. I will comply

 

[WesternLancer]

It occurs to me that an option Northern may well use will be one of the 'Fixed Penalty Notices' that Northern often seem to request - which is essentially an out of court settlement by another name - IIRC they are demands for £100, probably plus the cost of a new ticket.

If that is offered in this case it would probably be a good outcome for the OP

 

[Nivea12]

It occurs to me that an option Northern may well use will be one of the 'Fixed Penalty Notices' that Northern often seem to request - which is essentially an out of court settlement by another name - IIRC they are demands for £100, probably plus the cost of a new ticket.

If that is offered in this case it would probably be a good outcome for the OP

I’d be very happy with that.

I messed up and happy to own it.

 

[Nivea12]

so

They scanned an e ticket that I purchased through Trainlin

I know that they can access my details through this booking- in theory

My question however is:

How often does this really happen? Are they going to bother? I have looked on the forum and I can’t see any posts saying that they were caught this way.

I’m sure it’s happened before. I was just wondering if people know any more about this and if this is common railway practice? Especially considering the journey I went on was one stop- and there’s no evidence suggesting I’ve done this before.

Thankyou!!

 

[methecooldude]

Hi all,

If you havent seen my other post, I essentially gave fake details after having the wrong ticket.

They scanned an e ticket that I purchased through Trainlin

I know that they can access my details through this booking- in theory

My question however is:

How often does this really happen? Are they going to bother? I have looked on the forum and I can’t see any posts saying that they were caught this way.

I’m sure it’s happened before. I was just was wondering if people know any more about this and if this really happens often?


Thankyou!!

All the time.

You have commited a criminal offence by not providing correct details. Therefore, the TOC will see that the details on your ticket do not match with those given

 

[AlterEgo]

All the time.

You have commited a criminal offence by not providing correct details. Therefore, the TOC will see that the details on your ticket do not match with those given

I’m not sure we’ve seen many, if any, cases of a prosecution for false details. The train company needs to know and prove who was travelling to bring a prosecution in any case. The OP should hopefully keep us updated on this.

 

[Nivea12]

Yeah i understand that.

Guess I’ll see what happens.

Obviously I’ll come clean when they get me.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2024 ==

I’m not sure we’ve seen many, if any, cases of a prosecution for false details. The train company needs to know and prove who was travelling to bring a prosecution in any case. The OP should hopefully keep us updated on this.

Hi,

Thanks!!

This is why I was asking. People keep saying it’s possible, yet i have not seen many posts about it really happening

The woman told me as I walked away that they can come after me through the e-ticket I presented- making me think they definitely will, who knows.

 

[furlong]

There've been a few on here for false details but they are rare - you'll only really see it added on when it's caused a serious avoidable impediment to the investigation. Not when someone corrects them on first contact.

 

[Nivea12]

There've been a few on here for false details but they are rare - you'll only really see it added on when it's caused a serious avoidable impediment to the investigation. Not when someone corrects them on first contact.

I guess more my question is,

If they send the letter to the 'fake address' and I go and get it. I can still access the address.

Then, would they link me through the e-ticket and come after me?

 

[MrJeeves]

Then, would they link me through the e-ticket and come after me?

A standard part of the investigation process is contacting retailer(s) to request information about other bookings that have been made after discovery of a travel irregularity.

I don't see it as particularly likely they will take your contact details from a retailer, but they will take you purchase history.

If you don't respond to correspondence, you will almost certainly be prosecuted in your absence, be ordered to pay a fine (at the address you're not at), then have your debt sold to debt recovery agents who will find you through various other means to reclaim the money owed, plus some decent additional recovery charges on top.

Just get in touch now, correct your contact details, and engage with the process. It would really help us to know what train company took your details, where you were travelling to/from, and what ticket(s) you actually held.

 

[Nivea12]

Hi,

Northern Rail.

I don't want to disclose the journey as of right now- I will if I get a letter.

The advice I have been seeing primarily is do not get in contact unless they contact me. if they mail me at the wrong address I will just get back to them and correct my details.

 

[MrJeeves]

The advice I have been seeing primarily is do not get in contact unless they contact me. if they mail me at the wrong address I will just get back to them and correct my details.

The advice to not contact them is if they can contact you in the first place...

Is the address you gave them a fake one or is it another address where you could access post but do not live at?

 

[Nivea12]

The advice to not contact them is if they can contact you in the first place...

Is the address you gave them a fake one or is it another address where you could access post but do not live at?

It’s my old address. I know who lives there and can ask them for the letter under the name I gave.

 

[island]

I’m not sure we’ve seen many, if any, cases of a prosecution for false details. The train company needs to know and prove who was travelling to bring a prosecution in any case. The OP should hopefully keep us updated on this.

I witnessed one by Southeastern when attending a magistrates court as an observer last year. The defendant gave all details correctly except the door number was their next door neighbour.

The inspector was not in court for the trial and the defendant was acquitted.

 

[AlterEgo]

I witnessed one by Southeastern when attending a magistrates court as an observer last year. The defendant gave all details correctly except the door number was their next door neighbour.

The inspector was not in court for the trial and the defendant was acquitted.

Did the defendant claim it was not they who were stopped?

 

[island]

Did the defendant claim it was not they who were stopped?

No, he claimed that he did give the requisite details.

 

[Haywain]

No, he claimed that he did give the requisite details.

Presumably on the premise that if you were going to give false details you would try a bit harder!

 

[Nivea12]

Brief summary:

I had the wrong ticket, it was for a later train. it was an e- ticket which the lady scanned, she then realised I was on the wrong train.

Supposed to get off at final stop and give details. I gave false details and then in panic ran away.

Outcome:

Just wanted to update people and say that they never traced me, even though they had scanned my trainline electric ticket. People on here suggested that they were going to track me down that way but it never happened. Has anyone ever been caught that way, out of interest?

I am aware it was daft, won’t happen again. Thanks for all your help

 

[WesternLancer]

Brief summary:

I had the wrong ticket, it was for a later train. it was an e- ticket which the lady scanned, she then realised I was on the wrong train.

Supposed to get off at final stop and give details. I gave false details and then in panic ran away.

Outcome:

Just wanted to update people and say that they never traced me, even though they had scanned my trainline electric ticket. People on here suggested that they were going to track me down that way but it never happened. Has anyone ever been caught that way, out of interest?

I am aware it was daft, won’t happen again. Thanks for all your help

thanks for returning after such a length of time to update. Apols but I don't know the answer to your question.

 

[Haywain]

Has anyone ever been caught that way, out of interest?

A number of posters have come to the forum after being traced in this way.

 

[Nivea12]

thanks for returning after such a length of time to update. Apols but I don't know the answer to your question.

Not a problem!

Absolutely relieved that this worked itself out. Until I joined this forum I really under appreciated the lengths the train companies will go to. I now warn my friends all the time about bumping the train (we are students so it’s very common).

Keep up the good work guys

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Apr 2025 ==

A number of posters have come to the forum after being traced in this way.

Can you show me where? @Haywain

 

[scarby]

Not a problem!

Absolutely relieved that this worked itself out. Until I joined this forum I really under appreciated the lengths the train companies will go to. I now warn my friends all the time about bumping the train (we are students so it’s very common).

Keep up the good work guys

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Apr 2025 ==

It is good that you warn them but I have to say disappointing to read that this is "very common".

As students are training for qualifications to better their lives so that they can take up careers involving positions of responsibility, one would hope they would conduct themselves with integrity and honesty when they are studying.

Otherwise, who is to say that they wouldn't continue dishonest behaviour in later life?