Is this a bit weird? - I think someone is using my address

[RushieRoo]

A couple of months ago we received a letter addressed to someone not known us. Didn’t think much of it and assumed it must’ve been for a previous occupant.

Then DH took in a parcel delivery. He thought it was for me but once he had it inside he realised although the parcel had our address on it was for someone else - the same person we previously received mail for.

Later someone knocked on the door and said we had his parcel. As I handed it over I recognised him as someone I have seen a couple of times standing near my house in a dressing gown and slippers.

Then yesterday we saw the same guy stood outside our house. A car pulled up and gave the guy a takeaway. Do you think he ordered takeaway to our address then intercepted it? Why is he using our address?

Sounds like a credit card scam

And which over stretched, cut to the bone, underfunded, under resourced, morale at an all time low, can't come out to burglaries or rapes, police force is this then?

You will when debt collectors knock at your door.

Don't hand over any more mail or parcels. Say you haven't received anything and send them back as the wrong address

I once went to view a second hand car, from Facebook marketplace. The car checked out fine. I was given an address, pulled up and knocked. No one answered. I messaged the seller and he replied saying that basically they aren't associated with the address but they use it for viewings as they didn't wish to sell the car(s) via their apparently reputable garage around the corner.
Safe to say I walked away. But perhaps something totally random like this?

Which btw is weird regardless.

Is it possible that he lives very near but his house is difficult to find? If he's watching the tracking he'll know when its at yours and if its a food delivery they give an ETA.

I've ordered takeaways to my neighbours house before now (but let him know beforehand) as delivery drivers cannot find us.

Because of the takeaway too it does seem like using your address rather than trying to scam you. I reckon he's in hiding or doesn't have an actual postal address - any boaties or van dwellers near you? Mind you the food deliveries will usually go to those.

I've had this for sinister reasons, I foolishly ignored 2 letters addressed to someone else posted to my house, binned them without opening, ended up with police here at 5am one morning looking for someone as the letters were about court dates etc 5 police cars outside and officers at my front and back doors.

Turns out the neighbour's teenage daughter's boyfriend was using my address, then rather than change it with the police the neighbour got aggressive and tried to coerce us to keep the guys letters coming here and hand any future letters over.

I return to sender everything that isn't mine now.

This happened to someone in my family and was a scam. Could it be drugs delivery? Can you check out the person who collects? It sounds very dodgy to me. I think the advice to return the parcels is good then they will probably leave you alone.

Later someone knocked on the door and said we had his parcel
Did you not think that was odd?! He clearly knew full well he had put your address as the delivery address.
I wouldn't have handed a parcel like that over to anyone, I'd have returned to sender.

I’d definitely send anything else back.

He may be wanting to hide his address for some nefarious reason such as he’s a big time Colombian drug lord or an even more nefarious reason such as he’s dodging paying child support!

He may be a bigamist, or the grand witchy woo of the local white supremacist group, perhaps he’s recently turned super snitch?

If you see him outside, take his photograph and do a reverse search on google and perhaps you may getting a reward if he is a Colombian drug lord.

Did he have an accent, pockmarks and greasy slicked back hair? I’m not stereotyping and I apologise in advance to any Colombian drug lords that may frequent these boards, but the ones I see on the television all have pockmarks and greasy hair! And was his dressing gown a paisley pattern and his slippers leather? Or even leather look? I’m sure that drug lords wear that sort of attire (television).

It’s very strange. To be honest, I could understand once, but this is letters, meal deliveries and parcels. I don’t suppose he could be the previous owner of your house? (<— clutching at straws, but plausible).

It’s a known scam. The scammer gets stuff sent to your address and collects it. So they have evidence that they live at your house because they have loads of stuff with their name and your address. Then they can use that to get a driving licence, bank account, etc. Or even claim housing benefit as if they live in your house, which is what someone did to me!

Do you tell your neighbours what you are doing?

When I've used someone else's address - relation, friend or neighbour - I have always asked them before hand.

Erm....yes....like my post clearly says "I let him know beforehand"

@JoanOfAllTrades 😂😂👏

This used to work (I know someone who did it!) but now you need formal ID for everybloodything. Even if you find an organisation that still accepts utility bills & a council tax reference, it would take professional-level scammery to get hold of them.

It’s winter. It’s dark. Mind you, it’s also very late….

There’s not much to do in winter around here (there’s not much to do in summer either, but at least it’s not (as) dark!)

Surely it's obvious he's using your house as proof of address (bills etc now in his name at your address). You can then apply for various forms of ID/ finance/ mortgage etc.

You could start by not opening the door to him when he asks for it back. See what happens. Call the police

If it happens again with the same name, take in the parcel, see where it is from, contact the company and make a data protection act complaint. ask for contact information for the data protection officer.
They have an obligation to ensure the data is accurate and it isn't.

Relative had a similar incident -post rather than parcels - that was caused because someone had made a loan application in their name using their address.
whenever post arrived, they contacted the data protection officer, told them the name must be removed and asked for information about where it had come from - 9/10 it comes from a mailing house that has itself got it from the original fraud, so they needed to be contacted too.

Is the wearing of his dressing gown to get the postie to hand over post instead of using the letterbox maybe? I know if I'm in the front garden ours hands the post over to me.

I thought the same,seems odd to be outside someone’s house in dressing gown and slippers..

If anymore parcels come give it straight back to the driver. Tell them something werid is happening with letters and parcels. Tell your post man not to give letters to a man outside your property. It all has to.come through the letter box.

I don’t understand why you don’t follow him, if you’ve seen him outside in his dressing gown and slippers. He’s obviously not homeless and can’t live that far from you.

Yeah, after seeing the takeaway thing I did wonder if when I’ve seen him in his dressing gown it was to intercept the post.

But another time he was sweeping up so I’m not sure.

We don’t have neighbours right next to our house, we live on the corner of a village green. The nearest buildings one side are a cafe, hairdressers, and Chinese takeaway then it’s houses. On the other side is a big barn like building. Behind us is a carpark. In front it’s a village green.