Is This the Beginning of Identity Theft or Fraud? What to Do?
Sunday, July 5th, 2009 at
2:12 am
gene_frequency asked:
Every season a new and different magazine subscription comes to our house marked for Jennifer Mahar…but we don’t know who that is. It’s like she is attempting to create the illusion that she lives here.
Every season a new and different magazine subscription comes to our house marked for Jennifer Mahar…but we don’t know who that is. It’s like she is attempting to create the illusion that she lives here.
We’ve gone to local authorities who don’t understand why someone would complain about free magazines. (not too bright, just lazy or both)
Could this be the beginning of identity theft, some kind of fraud?
Tagged with: Identity Fraud • Illusion • Magazine Subscription
Filed under: Identity Theft
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Is it possible this person lived at the address previously? Leave a note for the postman or email USPS.
It could just be a mistaken address, or someone using a random address to get points for stuff online, or someone that lived there before you, or even a subscription that a friend or relative bought for this lady and added the wrong address.
Contact your local postmaster and have all her mail returned before it gets to you. Or take those magazines and give them to your local free clinic for waiting room reading material.
I don’t think its an attempt at identify theft.
More likely its someone you know who wants to irritate you.
You could sent each company a letter stating you did not order the magazine and they should cancel it. You probably should send their mailing label.
I have gotten a couple I did not order, and I just go to their website and send them a email and tell them I don’t want the publication. They usually stop sending.
The police are probably not really interested because it could be nothing and they can’t really do anything until something happens.
I have owned and or rented many houses where something just comes in the mail. It was a previous tenant/owner. The magazine companies sometimes just send out magazines long after a subscription has expired hoping that the person renews. I am talking years.
Call or email the company and talk to them. That will determine if this is a new subscription or an old one. They will be happy to hear from you. If it is new you will know.
Post office could get involved. Tell them you do not want mail delivered to you with that name. Alternatively you write something like “addressee unknown” on it and leave it in your box for the postman to collect and return.
Yes it could be someone messing with you. But you said season…. not all of the time. So that is unlikely. But if you get anything in your box other than magazines that will beg another question
-Everybody in the household should run credit reports. Just to check.
-bills and all should be ripped up before they go in the trash
-no personel information over the phone…. EVER
It is probably nothing but better safe than sorry.