Mail Theft - Report to Police?
Discussion
The shortish version of this story is that someone has called my bank pretending to be me, given my card details and address as security and ordered a new bank card. The following day they called and requested a new PIN. These were both requested on Tuesday and then Wednesday of last week and were both to be sent to my home address.
I live in a modern block of 5 flats with, unfortunately, the 5 mailboxes bolted to the outside wall at the front door. It's operated by a fairly basic lock which could definitely be forced or picked.
By lucky coincidence I was fairly quick to discover that the card hard been ordered and had my account locked down etc by the Friday.
I've reported this to the Royal Mail who have told me they do their own very thorough internal investigation, but i will never hear an outcome from them. They want me to report it to the police for them to investigate and advised i register with Experian to check for any other examples of fraud.
I am fairly certain that the issue is from before the mail hits my inbox as i have three or four examples of things that have gone missing over the last 3 months. I don't get any bank info sent to the house, so the very rare occasion where this has been necessary would show tremendous bad luck! I figure that either someone is checking regularly, or the postman thinks he may have his butt covered because it would be very easy to point out that the mailbox he delivers to isn't secure.
Anyway, i don't want to over analyse the millions of possible ways someone could have got hold of my card details, i like to think i'm fairly savvy with this kind of thing - but what about reporting it to the police? Will they care? I live in North London and imagine that they have better things to do. Although discussing this with my neighbours, this has happened at least three times over the last few years and on one occasion the police did eventually tell a neighbour that they'd found a whole stash of his mail in an address in Tottenham months later in an unrelated search.
I live in a modern block of 5 flats with, unfortunately, the 5 mailboxes bolted to the outside wall at the front door. It's operated by a fairly basic lock which could definitely be forced or picked.
By lucky coincidence I was fairly quick to discover that the card hard been ordered and had my account locked down etc by the Friday.
I've reported this to the Royal Mail who have told me they do their own very thorough internal investigation, but i will never hear an outcome from them. They want me to report it to the police for them to investigate and advised i register with Experian to check for any other examples of fraud.
I am fairly certain that the issue is from before the mail hits my inbox as i have three or four examples of things that have gone missing over the last 3 months. I don't get any bank info sent to the house, so the very rare occasion where this has been necessary would show tremendous bad luck! I figure that either someone is checking regularly, or the postman thinks he may have his butt covered because it would be very easy to point out that the mailbox he delivers to isn't secure.
Anyway, i don't want to over analyse the millions of possible ways someone could have got hold of my card details, i like to think i'm fairly savvy with this kind of thing - but what about reporting it to the police? Will they care? I live in North London and imagine that they have better things to do. Although discussing this with my neighbours, this has happened at least three times over the last few years and on one occasion the police did eventually tell a neighbour that they'd found a whole stash of his mail in an address in Tottenham months later in an unrelated search.
It will likely be someone else in the mail sorting office not your actual postie. Check your address with bank as sometimes they get the address changed too so it doesn't even get sent to you. I think you should report it as someone has fraudulently impersonated you to get a bank card etc. Police may be able to string a whole load of similar incidents together etc so although it might not help you, it might help crack a gang in the big picture.
You can try, but I suspect there won't be a lot of interest.
I had post stolen from a postbox in a communal area and a subsequent attempt to take £3500 from my credit card. I reported it and the police took the details but said it was a matter for the bank, not them, though I was 99% sure it was another tenant in the block who stole the post.
I've also tried reporting someone who hacked my ebay account, changed the delivery address and then bought a load of iPads to be delivered to that address. Again, not interested.
Up to a point, I can't say I blame them. The bank fraud failed and would have been covered by the bank anyway, and the ebay transaction was rejected because the change of address hadn't been validated. But yeah, annoying.
I had post stolen from a postbox in a communal area and a subsequent attempt to take £3500 from my credit card. I reported it and the police took the details but said it was a matter for the bank, not them, though I was 99% sure it was another tenant in the block who stole the post.
I've also tried reporting someone who hacked my ebay account, changed the delivery address and then bought a load of iPads to be delivered to that address. Again, not interested.
Up to a point, I can't say I blame them. The bank fraud failed and would have been covered by the bank anyway, and the ebay transaction was rejected because the change of address hadn't been validated. But yeah, annoying.
TooMany2cvs said:
Chucklehead said:
I live in a modern block of 5 flats with, unfortunately, the 5 mailboxes bolted to the outside wall at the front door. It's operated by a fairly basic lock which could definitely be forced or picked.
Is there any sign that it has been?Chucklehead said:
TooMany2cvs said:
Chucklehead said:
I live in a modern block of 5 flats with, unfortunately, the 5 mailboxes bolted to the outside wall at the front door. It's operated by a fairly basic lock which could definitely be forced or picked.
Is there any sign that it has been?
but more likely bump keys have been used.
It's fraud so would to go through http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ although I hear they're rather backed-up. It's more about what can be realistically done in the circumstances with all the variables in play rather than a lack of interest, and naturally the seriousness vs time it'd take to uncover anything. It's worth reporting as it may be one of a series they may be looking at, but I wouldn't expect anyone to be caught for it.
A more productive thing to do would be to 'target harden' yourself in terms of trying to get as much billing done online as possible. Obviously that doesn't work for physical cards but are you able to pick new cards up from the bank?
A more productive thing to do would be to 'target harden' yourself in terms of trying to get as much billing done online as possible. Obviously that doesn't work for physical cards but are you able to pick new cards up from the bank?
I know someone who has £30,000 nicked from the bank via their mobile telephone. Details are long and the method is best not republished.
The fraudsters left a trail that had loads of details and the address they operated from. The bank, the police and eventually action fraud were not interested in the evidence and simply passed a crime number over the phone. The bank did refund the money with notices that they would take it back if they didn't agree it was their fault.
Good luck reporting it and getting something done but I fear the best you will get is a refund from the bank and a crime number...even if you do get film of the person nicking your post and carrying your credit card.
The fraudsters left a trail that had loads of details and the address they operated from. The bank, the police and eventually action fraud were not interested in the evidence and simply passed a crime number over the phone. The bank did refund the money with notices that they would take it back if they didn't agree it was their fault.
Good luck reporting it and getting something done but I fear the best you will get is a refund from the bank and a crime number...even if you do get film of the person nicking your post and carrying your credit card.
A quick update: got a text from another bank letting me know my new telephone banking number has been sent.. this is for a credit card I do not use, and has had a £0 balance for over 6 months. I also don't get statements sent for this one.
The police aren't interested because i've suffered no loss.
I'm going to go round anyone I hold any financial accounts with and tell them what's happening. Having spoken to three neighbours it has all happened to them over the course of the last 12 months.
Course of action?
The police aren't interested because i've suffered no loss.
I'm going to go round anyone I hold any financial accounts with and tell them what's happening. Having spoken to three neighbours it has all happened to them over the course of the last 12 months.
Course of action?
Relocate the mailbox. It's making it easy with external access.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-27...
http://www.letterbox4you.co.uk/epages/63431319.sf/...
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-27...
http://www.letterbox4you.co.uk/epages/63431319.sf/...
You live in a block of 5 flats. You and 3 other neighbours have had problems with card fraud, doesn't this point to one of the common denominators being the fifth flat owner/tenant? What this person like could they be under suspicion?
Also thinking like others have said there is a pattern here with ongoing fraud you'd have thought the police would be interested in clearing up a whole raft of crime if they can catch what seems likely to be one person?
Also thinking like others have said there is a pattern here with ongoing fraud you'd have thought the police would be interested in clearing up a whole raft of crime if they can catch what seems likely to be one person?
Devil2575 said:
Chucklehead said:
I could set up a camera in my car that would be able to capture images.. not sure there's any point though. To be honest, you're welcome to 95% of my mail.
It will let you know if someone is stealing your mail.If at some point you actually lose money and you've done nothing, you'll feel a bit of a chump when the bank ask what you did about making sure your stuff was secure.
Bert
Edited by BertBert on Friday 24th July 09:02
apologies, i've only really given partial updates reading back.
I cared less about mail going missing because i don't have any financial type mail sent to the house on a regular basis and thought this may be a chance/isolated incident. However, i woke up to a text this morning from my credit card company telling me my new telephone banking security number has been sent. I havent used that card for probably 12 months+.
Royal Mail are doing internal investigations to determine whether or not my mail is hitting my mailbox which is good.
I tried to report it to the police, but i haven't suffered a loss so they don't care.
Action Fraud - same response as police.
I've only spoken to three neighbours because i happened to bump in to them. I live in Central London so we don't talk to our neighbours here
One flat is empty and for sale (and i know suffered this issue previously) and the other one is a policeman so it's probably not him.
I would relocate my mailbox, but it's a rented flat and realistically i'm not going to be here for more than 10-12 months. If i want to go all tinfoil hat i can have my mail kept at the royal mail office and go and collect it once a week.. but now i would rather catch the sod!
So i'm now more keen to set up a small camera which i can mount in my car which will easily see the mailbox. I need something with a motion sensor that can be powered from a battery pack. Was looking at dashcams that are powered by a mini USB. Any ideas?
I cared less about mail going missing because i don't have any financial type mail sent to the house on a regular basis and thought this may be a chance/isolated incident. However, i woke up to a text this morning from my credit card company telling me my new telephone banking security number has been sent. I havent used that card for probably 12 months+.
Royal Mail are doing internal investigations to determine whether or not my mail is hitting my mailbox which is good.
I tried to report it to the police, but i haven't suffered a loss so they don't care.
Action Fraud - same response as police.
I've only spoken to three neighbours because i happened to bump in to them. I live in Central London so we don't talk to our neighbours here
One flat is empty and for sale (and i know suffered this issue previously) and the other one is a policeman so it's probably not him.I would relocate my mailbox, but it's a rented flat and realistically i'm not going to be here for more than 10-12 months. If i want to go all tinfoil hat i can have my mail kept at the royal mail office and go and collect it once a week.. but now i would rather catch the sod!
So i'm now more keen to set up a small camera which i can mount in my car which will easily see the mailbox. I need something with a motion sensor that can be powered from a battery pack. Was looking at dashcams that are powered by a mini USB. Any ideas?
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