Not known at my address - weird coincidence

[StuAllen]

Yesterday I received a letter to my home for someone random person, it’s not a name I recognised and we’ve lived here for quite a few years now. Looking at the postcode on the return address it looked like it was from the DVLA. I didn’t think much more about it, wrote return to sender and stuck it in the closed post box, however today we received another letter, this time from the NHS for another random person, but the same surname from yesterday (guessing husband/wife). 
 

Do you think it seems a bit odd? I’m not really sure what to do about it, other than sending the letters back with not known here.

[Southernman46]

It's possible someone has used / is using your address fraudulently - happens a lot

[Mike Bellamy]

22 minutes ago, Southernman46 said:

It's possible someone has used / is using your address fraudulently - happens a lot

 

Even Companies House don't check any identification to create a Limited Company - see the BBC link below where one person who appears to be of Chinese origin has set up a number of false companies using 16 addresses all from one street in Worksop.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67053586

.

[Nearholmer]

It gets difficult when the letters start coming from debt recovery services, but having the DVLA and NHS write to you makes me wonder if it’s other than fraud. Is it a postcode error, where a one letter difference in code routes to somewhere completely different?

[Cwmtwrch]

It could be a former [possibly long ago] resident, or, if the addressee can intercept the letters, or get them by visiting and telling you they think they have had some post mis-addressed, then they have proof of address, which can then be used for fraud. I would return them to sender and leave the sender to sort it out with the addressee. It's more than just a straight-forward post code error if the post code on the letter matches the address and the address is yours.

[Bernard Lamb]

Best not to go on holiday.

If you do you might find that they have moved in when you get back.

Bernard

[spamcan61]

33 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Best not to go on holiday.

If you do you might find that they have moved in when you get back.

Bernard

I was thinking about that the other day, that guy in Luton who had precisely that happen to him, with his worldly goods in a skip outside "his" house.

[melmerby]

We still get mail (and Christmas cards from the same people every year) for the previous owner, who hasn't been here since 2009

To start with the chap nect door used to take them round as he kept in touch but after some years I started sending them back (no longer at this address), one even looked like a bank statement.

They still keep coming, so I file them in the round cabinet on the floor for due process!

 

[didcot]

My parents had a similar thing. Told them to report it as fraud. At least that way its "on the system " should it escalate. I just can't remember who they reported it to.

[Edwin_m]

A while ago I got a letter saying a VAT registration had been set up for a company using me as a contact name.  I reported it immediately to Action Fraud and went through the process to cancel the registration.  I don't know what was intended but as far as I know there were no further consequences.

[4630]

In case it might be useful to others, this is a free ‘Property Alert’ service offered by the Land Registry that attempts to prevent some forms of property fraud.  Or at least provide an early indication that something abnormal might be being attempted. 
 

Property Alert

 

 

[StuAllen]

Thanks for the advice everyone, looking at the Royal Mail website - I was trying to see if they have a service that automatically returns mail if it’s not a known name, there isn’t - they deliver to the address not names, their advice is to mark as return to sender.

[Enterprisingwestern]

10 hours ago, StuAllen said:

their advice is to mark as return to sender

 

You might find that that is you, seriously!

 

Mike.

[Buhar]

I'm not convinced that return to sender reliably generates investigation and amendment at these big organisations. I'd suggest opening anything from DVLA, utilities or banks in case it's something that could lead to fraud or mess up your credit score. Provided you have no malicious intent you are not breaking the law in doing so. I'd not open the NHS ones, though.

Alan 

[Joseph_Pestell]

11 hours ago, StuAllen said:

Thanks for the advice everyone, looking at the Royal Mail website - I was trying to see if they have a service that automatically returns mail if it’s not a known name, there isn’t - they deliver to the address not names, their advice is to mark as return to sender.

 

Royal Mail is a total sh!tfest at the moment. Do not rely on them for anything.

 

I have had one important document from my solicitor returned straight to her without any attempt to deliver.

 

My replacement bus pass, sent from Manchester on 6 October, has still not reached me.

[uax6]

Having extended our house into next door, I've inherited a load of mopping up after the previous owners. It appears that the females of the household were in quite a large amount of debt, and after they moved out decided to stop paying anything towards to minimum payments that they had agreed to pay. 

I started by putting 'Not know at this address' and shoving them back in the post, but they still kept turning up. So I started opening everything. I've then called each company and advising them that they no-longer live here (and the address no longer exists!), but something that gives me far more pleasure is passing them the new address for one of them (they all went different ways, but I was told where one went), so that she now gets all the demands. 

I'm guessing of course that she hasn't done a flit from the new address, but why should I care? The demands aren't coming to me anymore!

 

After 18 months the only things I get are from Screwfix, Hospital appointments, and insurance documents (Interestingly the insurance firm is the worst to deal with, they won't talk to anyone other than the named person, so I can't even tell them that they don't live here anymore! All the bank stuff was dead easy to talk to, especially as I had the account details in front of me (and not one asked why I had opened post not addressed to me...)).

 

Andy G

[Mallard60022]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Royal Mail is a total sh!tfest at the moment. Do not rely on them for anything.

 

I have had one important document from my solicitor returned straight to her without any attempt to deliver.

 

My replacement bus pass, sent from Manchester on 6 October, has still not reached me.

Not here it isn't. Your area must be having issues. Sheffield and Donny areas are not.

Phil

[5944]

16 hours ago, melmerby said:

We still get mail (and Christmas cards from the same people every year) for the previous owner, who hasn't been here since 2009

To start with the chap nect door used to take them round as he kept in touch but after some years I started sending them back (no longer at this address), one even looked like a bank statement.

They still keep coming, so I file them in the round cabinet on the floor for due process!

 

We still get some post occasionally for the previous owners of our house. We've lived here for 6 years, and they rented it out for about 6 years before that after they moved to Australia. The two items we regularly receive are for the wife's car insurance (so she must still be renewing it automatically despite emigrating 12 years ago), and the statements from the husband's Swiss bank account! 

[petethemole]

I would open anything like that, being suspicious by nature.  When returning it I just write "Opened in error" on the envelope.  We moved here in 2006 and still get an annual letter from the previous owners' bank and occasional mail for a Chinese student who moved out before 2005.  After returning some to sender marked "Gone Away" or "NFA" they now just go in the recycling.

[The White Rabbit]

8 hours ago, Buhar said:

... I'd suggest opening anything from DVLA, utilities or banks in case it's something that could lead to fraud or mess up your credit score. Provided you have no malicious intent you are not breaking the law in doing so. ... 

 

In the UK, I'm afraid that's wrong - you would be committing a criminal offence if you opened an item of post not addressed to you without 'reasonable excuse'. And I really wouldn't rely on you saying you had no malicious intent, it's the sort of nebulous definition which lawyers argue about in court - at your cost: 

 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/part/V/crossheading/offences-of-interfering-with-the-mail 

 

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/wrongly-delivered gives the official line on what to do. [Don't open it, put it back in the post.] 

 

 

[Buhar]

49 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

if you opened an item of post not addressed to you without 'reasonable excuse'.

I think opening it to find out why post with someone else's name is addressed to your home is a reasonable excuse by any definition.

 

Alan

[The White Rabbit]

1 minute ago, Buhar said:

I think opening it to find out why post with someone else's name is addressed to your home is a reasonable excuse by any definition.

 

Alan

 

I completely understand why someone would be curious and/or concerned about that - but as far as the law's concerned, that isn't a 'reasonable excuse'. I would be very wary about relying on that explanation because if things went badly wrong and you were charged with an offence I doubt you'd have any defence you'd want to count on. I don't hold a practising certificate now but have worked in the legal sector in the past, so do know a little about such matters. I suspect it's one of those offences the police don't pursue with particular enthusiasm but there's no point in taking unnecessary risks. There are many possible explanations and some are perfectly legitimate - my advice, for what it's worth, stay safe and don't take risks. Any concerns, take notes and photos in case of future developments, then put it [unopened] back in the post. 

[TheQ]

We had a period of receiving letters for a house of the same name, but the other side of the county.

Strange thing was the post code wasn't ours.

Some of the letters looked quite official.

Just sent them back "delivered to wrong  address"

 

Oddly some years after we had moved here we suddenly started getting phone calls for the previous owners. Then they stopped..

 

[2E Sub Shed]

11 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Royal Mail is a total sh!tfest at the moment. Do not rely on them for anything.

 

 

43 minutes ago, TheQ said:

We had a period of receiving letters for a house of the same name, but the other side of the county.

Strange thing was the post code wasn't ours.

 

 

Recently,  correctly addressed letter (including our post code) from local hospital in Exeter ended up sitting on a mat in Greater Manchester in a similar named road for 2 weeks whilst occupants were on holiday before they placed it back in postal system for delivery, (Which is currently twice a week here).  

 

[Hroth]

Since I've moved, nearly two years ago, I've regularly had items of mail apparently addressed to previous occupants.  I merely circle the address, write " Not at this address" alongside it and stick it on the pile awaiting a journey to a postbox when I can get around to it....