Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

I've opened someone else's mail and it's serious....

170 replies

Pepperwand · 23/10/2019 13:31

Just after a bit of advice. A letter came through the door today, right address but the name wasn't us our the previous owners of the house. It was however, sort of similar to my maiden name but a male. So for example if my name was Michelle Henderson this was for Malcolm Hutchinson (just a made up example).

I occasionally enter an alias name if I'm signing myself up to something to avoid junk mail so thought it could be something I'd called myself to a random company in the past and opened the letter.

It is a serious letter detailing a fine in relation to "Sex offenders register failure to comply with notification requirements". It mentions bailiffs/enforcement if this isn't paid.

Obviously this is really bad and now I have the name of the person. I don't want to get in shit for opening such a letter but I don't want bailiffs turning up at my door thinking he lives here!

Do I call them and fess up? Do I put it back in the post marked as wrong address? Help!

OP posts:
sniffsneeze · 23/10/2019 15:17

I'd put it in the post and wrote ’not known at this address’ however, as its about a sex offender I would pop to my local police station and tell them what happened. I would want it cleared up quickly that there was not a SO living at my address.

LIZS · 23/10/2019 15:18

Seems a bit unlikely. Can you return to the court?

ProfessorSlocombe · 23/10/2019 15:19

Can someone please explain how this could be a scam?

At a guess an attempt to provoke the mark into making a hasty phone call - possibly slightly panicked - and then extracting bank details. Possibly using an assumption the mark is less likely to ask advice or contact the police immediately ?

There are a lot of scum out there, I'm afraid.

MitziK · 23/10/2019 15:21

'I'm really worried about this'

'No problem, madam, we just need to see proof of your identity. Full name, mother's maiden name, date of birth, addresses for the past ten years - your driving licence, passport and a bank card would help, otherwise you'll have bailiffs/police breaking down your door at 4am'

FWIW, I'd ignore all the 'you're a terrible person for reading it' comments. If it's legit, there's a convicted sex offender who has moved without notifying them of the change. The police/court need to know that, as it's one of the signs that they're planning to reoffend soon. And if it isn't, well looking up the court and contacting them from their publicly listed number (not the one on the letter) will establish that.

EagleVisionSquirrelWork · 23/10/2019 15:21

When you Return to Sender, letters are routed via the Royal Mail facility in Belfast for opening and readdressing to the originator, so it takes time, which may account for why pp who have done this don't always get left alone immediately. Baliffs and debt collection services will generally work at a faster pace.

I must say, OP, this sounds like a scam to me. I wouldn't think that fines are the penalty for sex offenders who don't comply with their registration arrangements so much as rearrest, and I don't suppose they get notified in advance by post. I would drop in at a local police station if you have one to get the letter looked at, or as a pp suggested, phone the court using a number you've found for yourself.

FunOnTheBeach20 · 23/10/2019 15:21

You’re not going to get prosecuted for making a genuine error. Just ring and explain.

Oliversmumsarmy · 23/10/2019 15:29

Don’t do the “not known at this address” thing. That won’t stop you getting bailiffs/whatever at your door

But when they arrive you can prove you aren’t the person.

We had this sort of thing with previous owners.

I kept returning mail to sender and then the police and bailiffs turned up.

It took one minute to show them I wasn’t who they wanted and then they left.

Didn’t get a single piece of mail from them again.

I would be worried that your address is now showing a sex offender lives there when you look at the register

Lovemusic33 · 23/10/2019 15:31

I opened a similar letter which was addressed to a ex, it’s was a court order and threat of bailiffs for money he owed, I just seemed it up, wrote “opened by accident, not at this address” on the front and popped it back in the post, never heard anything after, never had bailiffs knock my door.

StarlightLady · 23/10/2019 15:32

Without wishing yo dound like a scratched record, never ring numbers on unsolicited mail. For starters you are giving away your number.

marcopront · 23/10/2019 15:33

I'm another who has had multiple letters from debt collectors despite sending back with not none at this address.

Fun fact
Most debt collectors have the same return address, some where in Warrington

CactusAndCacti · 23/10/2019 15:35

I have vague recollection of a case where someone killed themselves after receiving a letter detailing some sort of sex offence, that was a scam. I can't find it though on Google.

OnlyTheTitOfTheIceberg · 23/10/2019 15:35

I wouldn't think that fines are the penalty for sex offenders who don't comply with their registration arrangements so much as rearrest, and I don't suppose they get notified in advance by post.

An ex-criminal justice employee writes: a fine to the value of 75-125% of the offender's weekly income is the sentence for a Culpability C (minor breach) x Category 3 (little or no harm or distress caused) failure to comply with notification requirements offence. However the fact that the court has an out of date address would suggest the offender is continuing to disregard the notification requirements and should probably be in receipt of a heavier sentence. The court would appoint a bailiff/enforcement agent to collect an unpaid fine in due course.

OP as suggested above, google the number for the Magistrates' Court and explain about the letter you received and opened in error. If it's genuine - and there's no reason it isn't (I presume it has a HM Courts Service logo on it at the very least?) - a court officer will liaise with the relevant police force to attempt to apprehend the offender. Make sure to ask them to confirm that your address is removed from their records.

Original poster
Pepperwand · 23/10/2019 15:36

Thanks for all the advice. I suppose there's an argument that I should have stopped reading when I noticed it wasn't for me but it says in big bold letters at the top "Notice of fine and collection order" and then directly underneath "Offences and penalities - 2/ Sex offenders register fail comply with notification requirements SOA 2003".

I Googled the magistrates court and it's the same number as on the letter so gave them a call but they're not answering. Have tried a couple of times but it just keeps ringing and no voicemail. Not sure whether to pop back in the post or try again to call.

As some PP have said, I want it cleared up there's not a sex offender at my address! I imagine the person has given false details as we've lived here 5 years and the previous owners 10 years. The letter actually has this guy's DOB on it which seems mad but I can see he is 28 so pretty sure he's never lived here.

OP posts:
maternity123qwe · 23/10/2019 15:44

I’d also get in touch with the police OP as the address “might” be recorded on their systems against the person who is on the sex offenders register.
You might therefore have police turn up to see said person etc - and they could do to know that he has given a false address.

If you ring 101 and explain that letter has arrived it’s been opened along with the rest of your mail and this is what’s in it. He doesn’t live there and never ever has done.

wheresmymojo · 23/10/2019 15:45

If you can't get through to the magistrate's court then I would also call 101 as there's a possibility he has given a false address on purpose which could lead to something more sinister that they need to look into.

wheresmymojo · 23/10/2019 15:45

Cross-post saying the same thing Grin

SunshineAngel · 23/10/2019 15:49

We were getting lots of mail from previous tenants when I moved into a flat I used to live in. Asked the landlord but he said he had no address for them. We opened one because it said final demand, and it was a very nasty letter about debt. We phoned the number and said they no longer lived there, and we didn't get anything else after that.

DoctorAllcome · 23/10/2019 16:03

It’s ok. When you constantly get letters for former owners, sometimes you have to open a letter do you can call and let the sender know they are no longer at the address. Ive done it with things like magazines, repeat letters from banks, Gov agencies, etc. When I call, i always say that I’d sent earlier letters return to sender, but they’d keep coming and since some seemed important I decided to open it specifically just to get contact for sender and let them know they are failing to contact the former address owner.

ChristaMSieland · 23/10/2019 16:20

’m also querying. What have Bailiffs got to do with Nonces/Predators

Isn't there a type of court official called a bailiff in some parts of the UK? Not the debt-pursuing type. Maybe they fetch miscreants if there;s a bench warrant or similar?

Minorityreports · 23/10/2019 16:27

I had this with an ex - got a letter saying he owed x amount (from bank). I kept sending the letters back, not known at this address and finally rang them in a bit of a fury one day and said - what part of he doesn't live here don't you get. Last letter I received.

In this case, I'd be inclined to ring rather than to return to sender.

DialANumber · 23/10/2019 16:30

Don't worry about having opened and read it! I rarely look at who things are addressed to and have read stuff by mistkae in the past.

I have had overdraft letters and hospital appointments in similar circumstances before. I even recieved a precious tenant's contact lenses once!

On each occasion I've rung the most obvious humber and explained and jts always been OK. I've never been told off in anyway for opening the letter!

MyOtherProfile · 23/10/2019 16:32

I would persist in calling the court. I would want to make sure they knew to remove my address from their records.

LionelRitchieStoleMyNotebook · 23/10/2019 16:32

I work in a related field this happens a lot, ring them you won't be in trouble

KamikazeIdiot · 23/10/2019 16:49

Either way someone out there who is on the sex offenders register is already in breach of their conditions and it needs to be addressed.

And whoever sent the letter to the wrong address is in breach of the Data Protection Act/General Data Protection Regulations. Assuming the letter is genuine, of course. If it were an e-mail or text I would immediately assume it was a scam, and I do also receive a lot of scam letters (having previously been on an insolvency register).

PurpleCrazyHorse · 23/10/2019 16:56

We've lived here 5 years and I now open all post that comes here that isn't addressed to us. Perfectly legal as long as I'm not going to use the info to do something fraudulent. I ring the companies concerned and explain they don't live here. I've had NHS letters, DVLA, parking tickets that had escalated to larger fines. Very quick and easy to sort by phone after a few quick checks. No need to give my information out.