I Got a Scam Letter in the Mail

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 37

I thought these guys quit mailing letters in favor of email years ago. but, I got a romance scam letter from Ghana yesterday.

At first, I didn't know what it was, so I opened it out of curiosity and discovered a form letter, along with two photos. I admit that I was taken by surprise, given what I thought I knew about scammers' preference for email.

A phone number is included, along with an address, so I can call them.

What surprised and alarmed me the most was the fact that my full name, including middle initial, along with a mostly accurate postal address was on the letter. I assumed that they got this by hacking some computer system somewhere.

My credit rating is in the toilet these days, so I doubt they could get a credit card from anyone using my name.

But, now I am left to wonder what I should do with this letter?

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:29 am

I'd drop it, best not to get yourself caught up with the lads, focus on using fake accounts for baiting.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:35 am

Hi gonzo4life! Wink

Do the sticky and have the safe. Very Happy

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:11 am

DO NOT bait him! Unless you use a proxy with a fake email, this lad is definitely NOT SAFE to bait.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:50 am

Hmm, I'm curious about this one...

Haven't had the chance to match wits with a tech-savvy lad yet Wink

Not quite a Newb Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 37

Technomancer wrote:

Hmm, I'm curious about this one...

Haven't had the chance to match wits with a tech-savvy lad yet Wink

I can PM you the contact info provided. But, it may be difficult if they have the recipients names on-file somewhere and your name doesn't match-up.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:20 am

gonzo4life wrote:

What surprised and alarmed me the most was the fact that my full name, including middle initial, along with a mostly accurate postal address was on the letter. I assumed that they got this by hacking some computer system somewhere.

You know I seem to remember this large yellow book that contained your full name, phone number and address. Hum... hacking seems more likely though.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:31 am

I think you can drop that off at your local post office and let the postal inspectors handle it.

They may not do anything but it is better than just round-filing the letter.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 37

Ghost wrote:

gonzo4life wrote:

What surprised and alarmed me the most was the fact that my full name, including middle initial, along with a mostly accurate postal address was on the letter. I assumed that they got this by hacking some computer system somewhere.

You know I seem to remember this large yellow book that contained your full name, phone number and address. Hum... hacking seems more likely though.

I have always had an unlisted number.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:43 am

They may as well have bought your address from an address broker. All you need to do is enter a prize draw once or get some kind (any kind) of supermarket loyalty card and any piece of information they collect about you will eventually make its way into one of those huge data warehouses where it's categorised and sold on. There's a tidy profit to be made with that information.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:57 am

Have you tried googling the scammers details?

419Eater is my life Joined: 11 Dec 2009 Posts: 316

Your post is the 2nd in this week I have seen about mailed scam letters.
Maybe a database was empty'd and the mailings are payed with stolen CC.
Could be an postal-investigation-dept is interested.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:43 am

^^^ If you are not in the phone book and have BT system for avoiding those databases you may feel safe, BUT in UK there is somethimng called the electoral register!

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:56 am

gonzo4life wrote:

Ghost wrote:

gonzo4life wrote:

What surprised and alarmed me the most was the fact that my full name, including middle initial, along with a mostly accurate postal address was on the letter. I assumed that they got this by hacking some computer system somewhere.

You know I seem to remember this large yellow book that contained your full name, phone number and address. Hum... hacking seems more likely though.

I have always had an unlisted number.

I remember some years ago, (perhaps about 10) that PC Format had a free UK Directory disk that had the details on, names, residential addresses, phone numbers etc. Mine was on there, even though I'm also ex-directory/unlisted

I think it's rather quaint that they are reverting back to the personal touch with snail mail! I suppose you could put it back in the post box with "Return to Sender - No Longer Known At This Address"

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:26 am

^^ I think that may not be used any more. About that time or earlier I signed up for the preference thing that was to keep my details off the databases, you can imagine I was not besty pleased to miss a call from a number that BT had no lisiting for!

Called them and found their records were not up to date, is worth getting onto them and making sure ones name etc are not included on databases. The number that called me they say could be an outgoing only sales number Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:33 pm

You can get your name removed from the UK electoral register these days. At least the version of it that marketing companies and so on can buy copies of.
Then again the people who kept old copies of it probably keep recycling that information anyway, so chances are your details are still lurking around out there somewhere for anyone who knows where to look. Not to mention other ways of getting hold of information about you.
Personal privacy is almost dead here, and every day the government takes one more step towards killing it off completely. Only a matter of time before our lives are easily accessible to anyone who knows the right people in the right places...

@gonzo4life
I'm not sure if they do have your details filed somewhere. If so, there's the risk that if I get them ticked off enough, they might assume it was you using a fake name.
Best to let that one go I think. Could maybe pass it on to the police, but likely they'd just shrug their shoulders and toss it in the bin.
If they send one to me personally though, I might see what I can get from it.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 37

Mr Tambourine Man wrote:

Have you tried googling the scammers details?

Yes, that was the first thing I did. I found a page on Facebook with the same name. The pictures look the same, but that doesn't mean anything since the scammer could have stolen the pictures from her somehow.

The scammer seems to have listed themselves on a Pen Pals wanted site. The address is close to the one I have, though not exact.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:14 pm

gonzo4life wrote:

The scammer seems to have listed themselves on a Pen Pals wanted site. The address is close to the one I have, though not exact.

Hmm, one of my characters is looking for a pen pal... Rolling Eyes

Where's the site?

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