AIBU to NOT call these people? Strange letter in the post

[NCstrangeletter]

Got a letter in the mail this morning from a company called "SearchSquad" asking me to help trace someone.

Has anyone ever had one? The company website is vague and they seem to work with individuals and big companies, so debt collectors and random people looking to find someone.

For background, I have a stalker. However as far as I am aware he knows where I live, my name etc as he is a relative that does the school run (thankfully, he seems to have stopped since lockdown.

AIBU to NOT call these people to confirm who I am?

Whenever I’ve seen programmes such as Heir Hunters, they usually contact the person as quickly as possible. They don’t send a letter and sit around waiting for the person to contact them back. I think hadtojoinhas cracked this one for you.

Interesting. If I’m checking a tel number I always search in Google, type in who called me and the number. This came up for the 01484 number www.checkcalls.co.uk/check/0148450

Sorry, realised others have posted the link!

companycheck.co.uk/company/09022868/SEARCH-SQUAD-LIMITED/companies-house-data

Does this help?

Although they're not registered with Companies House, they are registered with the Information Commissioners Offfice so they exist in some form or another.

Search Squad ICO

I wouldn't bother responding to be honest, unless curiosity gets the better of you.

I've just had a look at their rather poor website, it looks like they 'trace' people by using the free tools available to us all but they charge for it.

Either ignore or go to the police because of the stalker.

Search Squad Limited was founded on 02 May 2014 and has its registered office in London. The organisation's status is listed as "dissolved". It had one director at the time it closed. The company's first director was Ashley Aaron Phillips.

Don't phone them! Straight in bin.

I've just looked at Companies House myself. There was a company called Search Squad that dissolved a few years ago. The sole director of that has been director of a number of other companies that seem to be involved mainly with advertising or searching. Smacks of a scam.

IGNORE

I'm slow to reply (one arm is trapped under a sleeping dog!) but any letter that isn't formatted properly would have my hackles up straight away.

For example, as a PP said, there's an unnecessary exclamation mark, the text isn't aligned/justified, and the date should be at the right hand side, not the left.

Not a sign of the professional company IMO.

Not a cat in hells chance. Ignore

It's a debt recovery agency. Don't contact them.

love the irony of 'The Search Squad' not even signing its own letter with a name.

I googled the phone no and got this:

www.checkcalls.co.uk/check/0148450

scam written all over it.

shred (as it has your name on) and bin.

They have a website, but this may not be the same people you got the letter from.
Sounds iffy.
searchsquad.co.uk/

Keep the letter ( might be evidence for any future action) but don’t respond.

It’s freaky considering you have a stalker, I’d report it to 101 incase the stalker escalates their behaviour and you have evidence of this.

Well dodgy

I’d definitely report to 101.

They have written to you specifically to ask with your help in tracing a person, who they don’t name. It implies they think you know the whereabouts of the person concerned.... but where would they have got that information from?

Makes no sense.

Smells like a scam.

Curiosity would get the better of me. I’d call on a withheld number but refuse to give my name or provide a fake one.

Hmm..... Search Squad Ltd was compulsorily dissolved, because the company was insolvent. They shouldn’t be trading under that name.

Trading Standards might be interested.

Is it your name and address on the letter OP, or is it addressed to occupant? Stamped, or hand delivered?

@CarrieMoonbeams

I'm slow to reply (one arm is trapped under a sleeping dog!) but any letter that isn't formatted properly would have my hackles up straight away.

For example, as a PP said, there's an unnecessary exclamation mark, the text isn't aligned/justified, and the date should be at the right hand side, not the left.

Not a sign of the professional company IMO.

The date doesn't have to be on the right. Standard formatting when I was in the MOD was date on the left. And I have worked other places where this was the case.

Keep the letter, OP. You have a stalker so this may be connected.

Don't reply or contact them, and a chat with the police on 101 might be helpful.