topic Re: Bizarre USPS related problem in Community Chat

Bizarre USPS related problem

laluzdelmundo — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:24:19 GMT

Since last year, I have been receiving mail intended for various names that seem to possibly be from the same family. At first it all had a change of address labels from USPS. The past 3 months or so I now get mail for these people from senders that actually have my address, not even a change of address label. This is suspicious, to say the least. I would not be surprised if the DEA or other law enforcement show up to break in my door at some point.

The local USPS is absolutely no help and I haven't been able to reach anyone at the post office official customer service number. I was hoping that they had a "receive call back" option but they don't. Wait time today was 29-37 minutes.

It's obvious these people are super evasive and I belive may be criminal. I really don't want my address to be associated with them. Anyone here ever have this problem?

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

on the bay — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:43:22 GMT

@laluzdelmundo ,

I'm not sure this is the same but I have received mail from many people who previously lived at my address.

But one also had the yellow forwarding but also other mail w/ their name and my now address directly.

I think what happens is many people do not notify all the places they get mail from and some are ads, some junk mail that still have their name and old address.

I wouldn't have thought this is supicious? Unless I'm not understanding.

My mother told me long ago to cross out their name and address with just one line with an arrow to the sender if any and write-moved return to sender!

I think that helps. USPS will get tired of delivering mail back and forth and get the message.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

nelc — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:31:51 GMT

Can you put “REFUSE” on the envelopes and return them to the post office ?
I’ve heard people do that when they don’t want to receive the mail.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

DrakesMomma — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:36:46 GMT

I did clerical work in the mailroom for a large corp for a couple years. Mark it "not at this address" and "return to sender". Don't mark out your address or the barcode. The Post Office will need that info to return it. Drop it back in the mail or give it to your carrier.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

elated — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:40:23 GMT

I used to get mail at my address with the former occupants. I would just write on the envelope moved not at this address. I would stick it back in the mailbox and put up my flag to notify the mail person. They would pick it up. After doing this,, I haven't received anyone's mail in a while. Hope this information helps.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

SandySparkles — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:54:38 GMT

WOW!😮 I am SO very SORRY this is happening to you and can certainly understand your concerns!❤ I concur about the possibilites, and marking it return to sender! Hopefully you are able to get a favorable resolution soon🤞, because dealing with USPS can be BEYOND frustrating sometimes!😐

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

Kachina624 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:14:31 GMT

@laluzdelmundo. I'm not sure I understand your concern but I do know the USPS will only forward mail for a very limited time. Beyond that people are expected to notify their correspondents.

I'd just mark any mail "not at this address" and let the post office return it to sender.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

Burnsite — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:28:18 GMT

A few decades ago, I bought the house I am hoping to sell soon. Letters and fliers addressed to the elderly widow who had sold it to me (and a few lodgers she had rented to) continue to appear regularly in my mailbox to this day. As she had an unusual last name, the last time I got a flier from a retirement home (a few weeks ago) I looked her up. She actually had lived a good long, active life, eventually passing away during the Covid epidemic when well over 100. The new people who move in, if all goes well at closing, will probably still be receiving Martha's junkmail.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

mormel20 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:44:10 GMT

About ten years ago I had mail troubles. My address was one word different. Example "609 John Doe Street" vs. "609 Jane Doe Street." Finally we wrote on the inside flap of the box (rural mailbox) not to leave the other people's mail.. It was a unsophisticated solution, but it worked.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

SilleeMee — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:30:05 GMT

I get mail intended for a person I knew years ago who has been dead for a long time. The person never lived here and I have no idea how they got my address.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

cheriere — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:43:54 GMT

@laluzdelmundo

I've received other people's mail at my PO Box many times. I just always give it to the clerk and say it's not mine.

Here's what the postmaster told me: Sometimes, other people may have had your address. Often times, they fill out an address and it's read wrong by whoever they gave it to. Other times, people will just make up any address and give to a debt collection agency to get them off their backs. If this happens, you're in for more mail. Someone used the address we've had for forty years. Also had our phone number given by someone states away lol.

These are just a few.

I doubt anyone would be sending drugs to your box. Firstly, they'd WANT that and would have NO way to get them without your KEY. They NEVER just hand mail over the counter to people anymore, even if they know you and you forgot your key. You must produce ID to prove you opened the Box. Also, there's a ton of security cameras in every post office.

Let us know what happens whenever you speak to your postal worker. Good luck 💝🌸

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

Happy2BHere — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 01:08:12 GMT

Yeah, I'd be worried about it being a scammer too.

To me it sounds like someone is just using your address to be able to put down an address and make it look real. Like someone who doesn't want to put down the true address (for whatever reason) on forms, etc. and are using yours. Especially if they're not worried about not receiving their mail since last year! They probably only give their true address to the people they actually know and trust.

I think I'd contact the USPS Fraud department and let them take a look at it. Look at uspis dot gov and go to "report" at the top of the page. I'd also put a note in my mailbox for my letter carrier that you don't want to receive any more mail at this residence for those names as none of them live there. Good luck!

Not mail related, but I guess I'm always apt to think scammer when something is questionable after some different experiences I have had. One was when I received a letter from the state that I used to live in to verify income for someone filing for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

They were trying to file against a business we had closed 30 years prior, and I had never employed or ever heard of this person in my entire life! I talked to my lawyer about it because I wanted to make sure they wouldn't receive benefits and she said that they even had a bunch of people file against them! A lawyers office!

Darn scammers are out to get 'cha, but some are really, really dumb!

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

Desertdi — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 02:15:17 GMT

It "could" be something WORSE than just a wrong address.

Several years ago, I started getting someone else's mail. Then someone was on my roof...said he was the inspector for my new property insurance policy.

The same thing happened with a cable company....they were digging a trench in the street to install "new" cable.

Then an appliance company wanted to make a delivery. Finally, a moving truck arrived.

It turned out that an out-of-state real estate company HAD SOLD MY HOUSE.

I had caught them in the act...and they finally admitted "it had been a MISTAKE"...and left me alone.

======

On TWO other occasions, the company paying my pension had "declared me dead"...and then the local post office did the same thing.

It took a HUGE amount of paperwork on my part, and took six months to prove I was alive.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

laluzdelmundo — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 09:18:08 GMT

Hello and thank you, everyone, who's responded to my "problem" post. This suspect mail is addressed to 5 different people, including children apparently, and none of them ever lived at this house. Today after my original post, I received 2 more pieces of mail. When I intercepted the mail carrrier and refused the mail explaining the situation, he understood my inability to get the local substation inolved in a solution. He did say he would notify them to not deliver any mail here that is not adddressed to my name. We'll see if that helps!

I've received school mail, Mercy Care HMO, Banner Health mail including current charges, AHCCS (Arizona's Medicaid agency), and a collection agency's demand for over $2,000 due ATT.

Having signed up for USPS informed delivery, at least I can see there if these mystery people's mail is headed my way. The weirdest thing USPS had done is re-deliver the mail on which I've boldly written "return to sender" and then it was re-delivered to me. Today's carrier did explain that I'm on a training route, and some carriers as well as the trainers aren't really up to the job.

Seems I never truly appreciated enough the "same old/same old" days of routine mail delivery until now. Again, I appreciate everyone's responses. And if you aren't currently experiencing mail problems. thank your lucky 🌠🌠🌠

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

jackthebear — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:18:36 GMT

just mark return to send, or not at this address

don't overthink it

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

Mom2Dogs — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:00:39 GMT

@DrakesMomma Interesting that you were writing on the mail....a few years ago I had a new mail person and was constantly getting the wrong mail, so I wrote on the the front of the envelope, wrong address or something to that...mail person left me a note and told me to quit writing on the mail!!

I did not follow her advice, how else was she to know it was the wrong address, she did not last long at least on our route.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

Carolina925 — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:20:12 GMT

I've lived in my home for over 30 years and just a few weeks ago, I got a package in my mailbox addressed to someone I'd never heard of before and addressed to my exact street number and zip code. I'm on USPS Informed Delivery and saw that the package was coming from a company I'd never heard of and had a tracking link. I didn't follow the link past the company name but it was unsettling. I know the original owners of the home, we bought it from them in the 80s. Even though we had it as a rental unit for a while, the name did not sound familiar at all. I put a "addressee unknown" note on the package and left it in the box. A week later, I got a notice from USPS that I needed to come by the post office to pick up the package. The writing wasn't real clear so I'm not sure if this is the same package or not. I wrote a note saying I did not know the addressee and the package could be returned to sender. The whole scene had me worried. A search of property owners in our town didn't show anything, even vehicles, in that name. Why would someone order an item and use an incorrect address? It may be a renter in the neighborhood who just didn't know the correct address but it still made me take notice. A NextDoor search, along with a search on our neighborhood's Facebook page, didn't turn up anything. With so many scammers running rampant now, I don't need one more thing to worry about and hope my address hasn't been stolen.

Good luck, I hope it can be resolved soon.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

SouthernBee — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:38:23 GMT

@Burnsite : Moved into current home 21 years ago that had a long list of previous owners and renters and still receiving mail from said people plus some extra names. Very frustrating. Person at local post office told us to throw away the junk mail but continue to return all other mail to the post office.

The person that we purchased the house from forgot to do the address change. We saved her mail for one week for her to come and pick up and told her to do the address change because we had more things to do and would return her in mail to the post office by writing on it: not at address and return to sender. She replied: But I am expecting a refund check🙄😯. We repiled: Not our problem.

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

riley1 — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:20:22 GMT

I cross out my address and print in large letters "does not live at this address" - its been going on for years and seems to now have slowed down a bit.

Also, I was getting a magazine with someone's name but my address. I tried the return to sender and it did not work.

Finally I called the publisher and asked them to stop sending the magazine.

Then there is my PO Box - its been getting mail for 2 different people since I took it over. Granted it's all junk mail - I returned it to the front desk and am still getting the mail. Now, I just toss it - btw, I've had this box for 10 years!

Re: Bizarre USPS related problem

CalminHeart — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:23:59 GMT

It's not the USPS's fault. They are doing what their system says to do because something was filed with them. You have to go deeper than USPS.

The same thing happened when we put Dad's house on the market in December. My brother, the executor, went to the main post office in town. They referred him to the state office where the so-called (fake) LLC was filed with Dad's address. The mail stopped.