Scammers using my real house address

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 2

I've been reading the site & forum for a while, but I've never baited so this is my first post. I got a letter yesterday from a Finnish lady who appears to be on the hook from some 419 scammer. It was addressed to my real house address, so I was concerned about both her and how she got the address.

I set up a new email account and mailed her (she'd included all her details and a photocopy of her ID card in the letter). I warned her about the fact that she's being taken in by a scam, and how there are no $millions in somebody's will. I also asked how she got my address.

I got a reply this morning - I think she understood that she was being scammed, so hopefully she won't talk to these people again. Worryingly she said that it was the scammers who gave her my street address.

Have you guys seen this before? I can't understand why they would give an address like mine when they probably have addresses in the UK they could use for getting letters. I'm even slightly concerned that they're messing with the post in my area to intercept letters, or intending to break in!

Finally is this something the police might be interested in? It doesn't sound like she sent them any money yet, but if they're using my address I don't want anyone to think I'm involved in the scam.

Cheers

PS I understand it was a "Barrister Bruce George" talking about the will of a "Jorge Krugger" in the original mail.

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:40 am

Scammers do use randomly selected UK postal addresses, but you don't need to worry about scammers intercepting mail. They don't work that way.
I'm certain that the victim was asked to send her ID, but by email, and she misunderstood.
I can't see that the police will be interested. There's nothing they can do. You aren't at any risk.

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:44 am

Well, he sure seems to be making the rounds:

http://www.419baiter.com/_scam_emails/09-03a/scam-email-044239.shtml
http://antifraudintl.org/showthread.php?t=21849
http://isitascam.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/final-notice-from-bruce-george/
http://dreamweaverforum.info/fraud-abuse-security/384906-419-barrister-bruce-george-esq.html
http://www.scamspam.org/tag/barrister-bruce-george-esq/

Bad luck, mate. But on the bright side, I highly doubt you're being targeted by the scammer. He just picked a random address to lend veracity to his tale.

EDIT:

Firestarter wrote:

...but if they're using my address I don't want anyone to think I'm involved in the scam.

Nothing like that's going to happen. Sleep easy.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 2

Thanks guys - that set my mind at rest!

Cheers

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:53 am

@Firestarter

great news is that you have saved a victim and even more the scammer does not have her ID to use in scams. Not many people manage that much though a 'mistake'.

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:16 am

hi firestarter - welcome!

if this happened to me, i would tell the police about it.
in the event of a victim losing money and the police doing something about it,
they would probably start by following up on the address the scammer gave out.
i'd think it best to have contacted the police before they contacted me.

however, i agree with the advice that the scammer won't try to actually make use of the address of a random stranger.

it's very strange that you've been reading these forums for a while and then a scammer suddenly starts using your real address Confused

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