Mailing Address Scam?
Is this a scam? I keep getting mail addressed to different people at my address. It started 2 years ago and I’ve gotten mail for at least 30 different names now. Lots of it is junk mail but some are bills from utilities, dentists, hospitals, and even a Social Security statement. When I call the…
Is this a scam?
I keep getting mail addressed to different people at my address. It started 2 years ago and I’ve gotten mail for at least 30 different names now. Lots of it is junk mail but some are bills from utilities, dentists, hospitals, and even a Social Security statement.
When I call the companies that sent the bills, they don’t care. I asked a credit agency and they said as long as my credit report stays clean, its not a problem.
But I’m pretty sure all these people didn’t pick my address randomly. I’ve lived at multiple addresses in NY over 15 years and never experienced this. And those were apartments where you would expect high turnover. I now live in a house that was previously owned by a couple for 20 years.
Is this some kind of scam? Don’t see anything on internet.
Mr. B – Can you post an inquiry about this on the homepage? Maybe as part of an article on scams on homeowners or Brooklynites more generally?
Thanks in advance.
also person with heavy accent, who uses fake address to get cell phone might be up for no good – call DoHS or “you see something – say something” hot line and report him.
amanda: actually you should be able to issue “cease to exist” statement and they must stop calling. I am not sure about details – but you can find such things on creditboards.com – very good place to follow up with identity theft and credit reports.
Ysabelle: if you get t-mobile bills, you can go to their website, login under account number and wreath the chaos to the account. Order 10 more phones. Cancel service. Change the voice mail message to something inappropriate. Today is the fools day – teach this moron a lesson.
We get numerous T-Mobile bills (up to 5 per day), different names, all to our address. Names like Lion King, crap like that. T-Mobile doesn’t require positive ID or proof of address to open an account. A wonderful policy, particularly if you are a drug dealer, mobster, or terrorist. No way to track you.
Anyway, I tried for a while to get someone at T-Mobile to care, but I gave up. Now I just write return to sender on the envelope and put it back in the mail. And hope the FBI doesn’t come to my apartment looking for Mr. Lion King.
You can also write to A.G.’s office, FCC, BBB & so on. When I get really riled I plaster every public service person & group w/ complaints – at the very least it minimizes the possibility of my being held responsible.
Ysabelle, I get a ton of collections calls, too, and I haven’t been able to stop them. So don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work. No amount of explaining that this is a wrong number will get them to stop calling. I don’t think “do not call” applies in this case, where they believe you or someone at your number owes them money.
And, OP: definitely send the mail back, marked “unknown.” You might consider taking it to a mailbox, even, to ensure that the mail carrier isn’t part of some identity theft scheme (it’s been done).
On the other hand, I get a lot of bills addressed to me, mostly subscription renewal reminders and domain registration stuff, that are totally bogus. So they could be weird fake bills. Either way, “return to sender/ recipient unknown” is the way to start.
insertsnappynamehere
Thank you
Ysabelle, tell the company who keeps calling about the bill not to call your number any more. By law, they must remove that number from their call list once you tell them that.
nyb01
The neighbors phone calls are coming to my landline. I don’t have a cell phone.
arkady
how do you close someones elses cell phone account?
I had a really awful case of identity theft about 4 years ago and the criminal was sending packages, bills, etc under my name to two houses in Bed Stuy. I found the address on my credit reports. The police went to both places and one was a vacant house, the other they could not get access to. You may not be a victim of identity theft, but receiving the mail of other victims. Vinca’s suggestions are all good. After confirming your credit reports are in order, I would contact the police to let them know about the mail you are receiving.
Good luck, you are doing the right thing in checking this out.