Why Would Someone Use Our Address?

fallen121

We keep getting direct mail sent to our house addressed to "Mr Michael Jawniak" except that he has never lived here and no-one of that name has ever lived here. We've lived at this address for over 26 years. It seems to be mainly quotes from insurance companies such as Direct Line and Churchill.

Mr Fallen had his identity stolen a few years ago so of course he is very sensitive to this sort of thing happening. I am also aware that insurance searches of our address show up on Experian and because some of these are genuine for our own car/travel/house insurances it is bound to look suspicious if the number of these type of searches suddenly start to increase.

Short of contacting the companies concerned to get our address taken off of their database (none of the companies are currently used by us) is there anything else I can do?

Is there any possibility that Mr Michael Jawniak could be looking to perpetuate some kind of scam involving our address?

DCFC79

Have you checked that these searches are on your credit file ? Check the other 2 agencies as well.

Maybe Mr Jawniak has done a quote on a nearby street and chose your address.

Inform the insurer concerned by phone call or send it back marked as not at this address.

notbritishgas

OP, have you googled the name. Several mentions.

FutureGirl

Your address isn't on a 'database'. This other person has used your address to try and take out an insurance policy, because it may be cheaper in your area. This happens a lot. It is just the other person trying to get cheaper car insurance by using a false address. If a policy comes through, I'd advise calling the insurer to let them know it's fronting and the insurer will then void the policy.

eddddy

It's quite possible that somebody living nearby has been getting 'dummy' insurance quotes online to compare prices.

i.e. They give a fake name and an address near their own to get an idea of prices. (And your address happened to be the one they chose.)

Then, when they decide to buy, they enter their real name and real address.

rudekid48

FutureGirl wrote: »

Your address isn't on a 'database'. This other person has used your address to try and take out an insurance policy, because it may be cheaper in your area. This happens a lot. It is just the other person trying to get cheaper car insurance by using a false address. If a policy comes through, I'd advise calling the insurer to let them know it's fronting and the insurer will then void the policy.

It's not "fronting".

FutureGirl

rudekid48 wrote: »

It's not "fronting".

Yes it is. There are many variations of fronting, not just putting someone else as the main driver when they aren't. We use the term fronting for different scenarios in our company.

rudekid48

FutureGirl wrote: »

Yes it is. There are many variations of fronting, not just putting someone else as the main driver when they aren't. We use the term fronting for different scenarios in our company.

So how do you know that the OP's insurer uses the same term? It's unlikely.

Pincher

This has been going on for years.

I seem to remember a village somewhere was getting lots of mail, because their postcode was particular cheaply for car insurance. Some savvy crook with a computer promises poor immigrants they can get cheap insurance, for a fee.

The insurance company probably sends something for the insured person to sign and return, but the crook just downloads the stuff online, print them out to give to the idiot, who pays up and thinks that is the end. The insurer will probably try to get in contact a few times, using the false address, and then cancel the insurance.

So the uninsured gets picked up eventually, or have an accident. When something happens, the middleman isn't on record for anything. Obviously the insurance company won't pay out, etc.

EdGasket

We kept getting email for a foreign sounding name. Eventually opened one and found it was the bailiffs about to descend for unpaid mobile contract that was nothing at all to do with us; someone had hijacked our address for a fraudulent mobile contract. I'd advise to check what the mail is about and take it from there.

rs65

FutureGirl wrote: »

Yes it is. There are many variations of fronting, not just putting someone else as the main driver when they aren't. We use the term fronting for different scenarios in our company.

Fronting seems to be universally known as an older person being declared as a main driver rather than a young person. What else do you use it for (other than foreign fronting policies)?