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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:
PunkHairToday · 23/10/2019 17:03

It sounds like a scam / blackmail letter OP.

I'd take it to the police station. Let them deal with it.

Anyone on the SO register will be known at an address. It's highly unlikely that they moved from your house and they are at an unknown address yet are known to whoever sent that letter.

It's a letter sent in the hope of getting money from some vulnerable person.

BTW you say you often give a false name for mail etc to avoid junk mail ...Hmm but if you give a genuine address you will still get the mail. Your name might be wrong but the post will arrive.

SunshineCake · 23/10/2019 17:07

Surely if it was enough to return a letter saying Not known at this address to get away from bailiffs all the baddies would be doing it Hmm.

CointreauVersial · 23/10/2019 17:08

The magistrate's court may well have limited opening hours, so try calling again tomorrow.

I don't think it's a scam, but obviously wires are crossed somewhere.

PunkHairToday · 23/10/2019 17:15

not a scam-

but why would anyone on the SO Register be fined for non compliance? Or have bailiffs sent?

Bailiffs act for debts owed not offences. Years ago I initiated a claim for damage to my property which went to court and bailiffs went to the guilty party's home. This was a civil matter not criminal.

You need to google the phone number and check it out BUT be aware it could be a fake number set up to extract money from people - just like they do with online banking fraud.

PunkHairToday · 23/10/2019 17:18

@Pepperwand Read this and be very careful before you make any contact. www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/your-money/fraud/fraud-alerts/cold-calls-from-bogus-bailiffs/

katseyes7 · 23/10/2019 17:19

l once opened a letter from the CAB which was addressed to someone else, but had my address on it. Say my address was (for example) 10 Taylor Road, with the correct postcode, but the person it was meant for apparently lived at 10 Taylor Park Road.
lt contained debt advice and included financial details and personal details of the addressee and their family, including dates of birth, children's details, etc. l actually took it to the people it was meant for and apologised profusely, and said l had sent a letter to the CAB office. l suggested they do the same.
The next day the manager of the CAB office turned up at my house, very apologetic, and saying that the person who had mis-addressed the letter was 'in bits' and extremely upset.
Not half as upset as the people the letter was meant for, l bet. l suggested he go and see them. l don't know if he did or not.

Fortunately it was sent to me and not someone else who could very easily have used the information for god knows what.
l'd ring the sender (if you have phone details) and then return the letter to them. lf need be you have proof of your identity and address history. l'm still a bit bemused about the 'bailiff' bit though. lt sounds a bit dodgy.

PunkHairToday · 23/10/2019 17:20

I think you are being conned.

A magistrates court would not be dealing with something as serious as a sex offender. That would be a Crown Court. This looks like a scam and anyone can make a letterhead to look official.

minesagin37 · 23/10/2019 17:21

Some child could be at risk so sod the etiquette. Ring the number.

Passthecherrycoke · 23/10/2019 17:22

I’m not sure how to say this without sounding dismissive of the crime this person has committed but not Re registering on the SO register when you move might not be that serious. And if you fail to comply how else would they punish you? Fines are a perfectly legitimate source of punishment given by the court.

And if you don’t pay your fine, or comply with the register conditions, then yes bailiffs could well be sent to recover the debt.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 23/10/2019 17:25

Do not make contact with any number in the letter.

Reseal, and repost marked RETURN TO SENDER.

seasidequayside · 23/10/2019 17:30

I had a situation a few years ago where tax demands were being sent to our house for someone who had never lived there. I kept ringing HMRC but they still kept sending letters and eventually a bailiff letter. I sent a recorded letter to both HMRC and the bailliff to explain the situation, who lived in the house, who lived there before, and formally asking them to stop sending letters. I got nothing else after that so assume they accepted what I'd written. I think someone had randomly given our address instead of their own to somehow avoid tax, & possibly it's a similar situation with your letter OP.

Keep trying to phone the court, but also follow up with a letter confirming what you've told them. I would also keep a copy/photo of the letters (yours and the one you received) and a note of what you've done, who you've called, etc, just in case there are any further letters.

Sagradafamiliar · 23/10/2019 17:33

No, it sounds legit to me. If he's been fined for breaking his MAPPA conditions relating to his sex offence, and not paid up, then he would receive such a letter, the once, and then the bailiffs will come to enforce it. The court wants its money, they don't piss about with multiple warnings.
You do need to sort this. And it's easily done so get it over with.

Bofster37 · 23/10/2019 17:36

@BIWitch and everyone else:

IT IS NOT ILLEGAL!!!

It is only illegal if you are intending to defraud.

Do you all believe in common law marriages as well?!

BlaueLagune · 23/10/2019 17:39

Sounds like a scam to me. And seriously, they only write once and then send the bailiffs around without checking they have the right details?

And coincidentally the name is really similar to the OP's?

Hmmmm. Not sure about this one.

BertrandRussell · 23/10/2019 17:43

“Under the Postal Services Act 2000:

“A person commits an offence if he, without reasonable excuse, intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or intentionally opens a mail bag.”

“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

But in these circumstances I’d still do
It.

jamesforagirl · 23/10/2019 17:46

Are you sure this isn’t a scam?

Sagradafamiliar · 23/10/2019 17:49

Yep, seriously, Lagune. Obviously they think they have the right details. The fact the man has given a false address would indicate he's done a runner, which is why he's found himself back in court and found guilty probably in his absence and now the fine has gone unpaid.
Either that or the OP might be living near a HMO or something and there's been a simple house number mix up.
Either way, it isn't for the OP to chase him down or figure out the fuck up, but she does need to phone the magistrates to alert them to this.

ProfessorSlocombe · 23/10/2019 17:50

@BIWitch and everyone else:IT IS NOT ILLEGAL!!!

you're wasting your electrons. Even if they took notice of what you said (they won't) they'd be ready to trot it out to the next poster, whenever they turn up.

(See also: "you can throw away private parking invoices as they can't take you to court.") Grin.

BIWitch · 23/10/2019 17:53

It's OK @ProfessorSlocombe, I've got the message!

And I definitely know there's no such thing as common law marriage, or that you can throw away private parking invoices! Grin

I stand corrected.

ProfessorSlocombe · 23/10/2019 17:54

And I definitely know there's no such thing as common law marriage, or that you can throw away private parking invoices

Have you heard about the Freeman of the Land ?

BertrandRussell · 23/10/2019 17:55

Under the Postal Services Act 2000:

“A person commits an offence if he, without reasonable excuse, intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or intentionally opens a mail bag.”

“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

coconuttelegraph · 23/10/2019 17:57

A scam predicated on getting people to open letters not addressed to them isn't going to be very sucessful. Scammers aren't stupid, why would they waste their time when they could send the letter correctly addressed and have a much higher likelihood of people contacting them.

Mistakes happen all the time, my bet is that this is someone's cock up not a conspiracy to somehow scam people.

A poster above said not to ring as they'd get your phone number, that's easy solved by witholding it before you call.

SoupDragon · 23/10/2019 17:58

“A person commits an offence if he, without reasonable excuse, intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or intentionally opens a mail bag.”

Irrelevant in this case.

“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

Note the bit that says "intending to act to a persons detriment and without reasonable excuse".

OP you're doing the right thing by phoning the number of the magistrates court to clear this up.

Passthecherrycoke · 23/10/2019 18:00

Bertandrussel the first part of your quote is intended to cover disruption to the Royal Mail process. Once it’s through the door, it’s transmitted and that no longer applies

The second part pertains to the person who receives (or steals) the post and opens it.

that’s all I remember from law at uni. I hoped it would come in handy lol

Bigbopboo · 23/10/2019 18:02

I am not convinced this is a scam. Why on earth would you give your bank details in this situation? As PP said number o letter is same as magistrate court she found on google