I received two letters at my home address with someone else's name on it. Is this identity fraud?

Question

One letter was an ad for Sprint phone and the other was an invitation letter to apply to grad school. I wonder why these letters in someone else's name came to my address. I've never seen that name before. I checked my statements just in case and everything seems fine, hopefully I didn't overlook anything. Should I be on a lookout?

Answer 1

In the vast majority of cases, the mailer got the house number or street wrong. Most bulk mailing are adressed by a computer controlled machine. Sometimes the data base is inaccurate or gets corrupt. I wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 2

It could be the previous owner's mail!

Answer 3

No.  Identity fraud is when someone has taken your name. This is about your address only.

Answer 4

I really wouldn't worry about it. Most probably someone else has a similar address to you or like people have said - it's a previous owners mail. A phone advert and a school application letter certainly aren't things that would cause concern. Maybe if they were credit card bills, you would have to look into things a bit more! I wouldn't even bother "keeping a look out" more than you usually would, there's nothing which can be done with your address alone, certainly not with out your name to go with it!

Answer 5

Be on the lookout. But please be aware that it could belong to the guy / gal who used to live at your address. I've gotten a lot of stuff from Cornell University (sent to a lady I don't even know) .. mostly about alumni events. And nobody from my family has ever set foot in Cornell.

I tried to find her current address, but to no avail. So I just returned the letters to the post office and let them deal with it.

Answer 6

Since these letters were addressed to another name, evidently they don't mean that someone else is using yours.  Your address maybe, but not your name.  Since they're both just junk mail, I wouldn't worry about them.  Just write "Not at this address" on them and put them back in the mail.

Answer 7

stay on the lookout. however, i too get this mail. it's likely someone put the worng number on it, or it's the previous owner's Mail