Someone is using our address...

[mooncancook]

I got a mail from AT&T in the mailbox today with our address of course but a strange name that we don't recognize (we recognize the name of previous home owner). We felt suspicious about it so we opened it. Inside the letter it says "Thank you for applying for AT&T communication or entertainment services. ... Your AT&T credit sore was xxx... etc etc."

It looks like someone is using our address here. What should we do? Should we just ignore it, or call AT&T and inform about it?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

How does someone "use your address"?

Unless you see something on your credit or other identity issues (IE: SSN used, etc...) I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[XavierMace]

How old are you that this is the first time this has come up for you?

 

[mooncancook]

XavierMace does it happen to you a lot? I've never had it when I was kid living with my parents, and never had it for the 10 yrs I've lived at my current addr.

 

[Mixolydian]

Happens all the time

 

[Naer]

Sorry brah, won't happen again

 

[TwiceOver]

First, unless it says "Or current resident", you don't open other people's mail even if it is addressed to your address. Second, all you need to do is write "Return to sender, no such resident" and the post office will send it back and if ATT is doing their job you'll never get it again.

 

[CraKaJaX]

First, unless it says "Or current resident", you don't open other people's mail even if it is addressed to your address. Second, all you need to do is write "Return to sender, no such resident" and the post office will send it back and if ATT is doing their job you'll never get it again.

this.

It happens commonly especially when you live in an apartment and people move in/out frequently.

 

[ControlD]

First, unless it says "Or current resident", you don't open other people's mail even if it is addressed to your address. Second, all you need to do is write "Return to sender, no such resident" and the post office will send it back and if ATT is doing their job you'll never get it again.

Depends I guess. The people we bought our house from 19 years ago are still using our address, mainly because they owe tens of thousands of dollars to numerous creditors. After returning the mail for 10 years or so I now happily open and read it. Not the same situation as the OP I realize. I still get about five calls a week from collection agencies looking for them as well. Good times.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

this.

It happens commonly especially when you live in an apartment and people move in/out frequently.

Either this, or someone will drop by telling you that their post 'accidently' was delivered to your door. Then when they commit fraud they can't be found anywhere but since you allowed them to use your address the company may try to sue you instead.

 

[DaTT]

At first glance, I thought your User Name was Man Cock. No lie.

 

[XavierMace]

XavierMace does it happen to you a lot? I've never had it when I was kid living with my parents, and never had it for the 10 yrs I've lived at my current addr.

Not as much as it used to but yeah, happens at least a couple times a year and I've lived at my current address for almost 30 years.

 

[radhak]

What's an AT&T Credit Score? Never heard of them giving out credit scores. I think you should call them and ask what it is, and why somebody is getting it at your address. Must be a typo at their end (the address). If not, and the information is not about you, you are not in trouble of any sort, at least in ways I can think of.

<wild guess>
If somebody deliberately gave your address, it's possible that all they want is a utility bill to "prove" they live in your school district. Is this such a neighborhood? Maybe they could call AT&T up with some line about why they "aren't receiving their phone bills" and then stopping by an office to get a copy of "their" bill...?
</wild guess>

I have received mail for people who lived here as 'paying guests' (sublet tenants) many owners ago. I have opened it (because I open my mail first and look at the envelope later if needed), found it innocuous and junked it.

 

[twinrider1]

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Depends I guess. The people we bought our house from 19 years ago are still using our address, mainly because they owe tens of thousands of dollars to numerous creditors. After returning the mail for 10 years or so I now happily open and read it. Not the same situation as the OP I realize. I still get about five calls a week from collection agencies looking for them as well. Good times.

You realize that you can tell those people not to call again - and if they do actually call again you can have them fined, right?

 

[feralkid]

Do you always open other people's mail?



"Return to Sender" is the appropriate action next time.





edit: Sorry, I see this has been covered already.

 

[ControlD]

You realize that you can tell those people not to call again - and if they do actually call again you can have them fined, right?

I do tell them, and for the most part they listen. The problem is, those cases gets passed around to new agencies all the time so it is an ongoing process. I usually just don't answer the phone if it doesn't have a valid caller ID.

 

[moonbogg]

Who told you I can cook? They are right.

 

[mooncancook]

First, unless it says "Or current resident", you don't open other people's mail even if it is addressed to your address. Second, all you need to do is write "Return to sender, no such resident" and the post office will send it back and if ATT is doing their job you'll never get it again.

That's what I always do when I got mails for the previous home owner who we bought from. I should have just done the same. Oh well if it happens again I will definitely just do that and forget about it.

 

[dud]

We felt suspicious about it so we opened it.

If I were you I would run and go hide under your matress. A federal statute known as 18 USC Section 1702 makes it illegal to open correspondence addressed to someone else.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It does sound kinda fishy, if they're going to use the account for fraudulent purposes you'll be the one on the hook for it because it's your address. I would contact them just to play it safe.

Though it could also be the previous owner or something like that. The previous owner of my house past away and I still get Christmas cards for her. I don't know what's more sad, the fact that they're not aware of her passing and still sending her cards, or the fact that she gets more cards than I do.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Dude, they are living in your house, check the attic!!!!

 

[master_shake_]

find out where they live and get weird free samples mailed to them.

 

[waffleironhead]

Call att with the account number if any and tell them the address is wrong. Some sap was getting propane bills at my address for months and rts wasnt working, so thats what I did.

 

[Genx87]

I have this happen to me all the effing time. Whoever did the streets around here had to be part of the CIA LSD tests back in the 50s\60s. They have ave and lanes parallel to each other and they share house numbers. The people one block over with the same house number get our stuff all the time and vice versa. We are on Ave and they are on Lane.

An example

6969 69th Ave - Us
6969 69th Lane - Them