Underpaid postage for recruitment scam letter

underwhelmed_saver

The other day I received a card from the royal mail saying there was a letter for me with underpaid postage (I'm aware there are scams around this, but this was from the local delivery office and I went directly to royalmail.com who confirmed I needed to pay). As I'm in the midst of a house purchase at the moment I thought it may have been some important documentation so duly paid the £1.50

Come today and I receive this letter

Inside is one sheet and an envelope, and a letter saying

Dear X,

I am writing to you about opportunities which have arisen to work in the UK in support of British national security. I came across your profile and am taking the liberty of writing directly to you as your technical background and experience suggest that you may be suitable for roles which we have available

As this letter is personal to you, please do not discuss it with anyone else.

Please provide your phone number in the stamped addressed envelope and return it to (PO box address)

I mean it has the hallmarks of a scam all over it

1. Underpay postage to peak my curiosity
2. Read letter, figure sunk costs (£1.50) and reply to them
3. Enter some sort of dodgy recruitment funnel where they probably end up trying to shake you down for fees
   

I pity the poor people who reply thinking they're being tapped for GHCQ but........how on earth can I get my £1.50 back?

[Deleted User]

You can't.

Just bin it.

sheramber

Since they have given you the address send it all back in big   envelope with no postage on it.

Manxman_in_exile

Invest another £1.50 in 50 or so envelopes and send them all your junk mail, old newspapers, magazines, empty cardboard packing etc etc.  and do what sheramber suggests.

Send a few fake 'phone numbers too.  Or 'phone numbers of scammers and anybody else who has really ticked you off in the past - or anybody you don't like really...

I don't suppose it will have any real effect but it may make you feel better.

(Is there really a stamp on the return envelope or did they forget that one too?  I don't suppose you are allowed to repurpose it.)

MalMonroe

*pique not peak.

You can't get your money back. Just be glad it wasn't more.

If you paid the £1.50 to Royal Mail to get the letter, the scammers don't have that money, Royal Mail does. And they obtained it quite legitimately since the letter was posted without any/insufficient postage.

As zx81 says, just bin it. And if there is a next time, just ignore Royal Mail's request for payment. Their request may be genuine, as in your case but if someone really needs to get in touch with you, they will do. Eventually.

I wouldn't waste any more time or energy on it, you have more important/better things to do.  

Ectophile

But if they actually did include a stamped envelope, then you at least got a free stamp out of it.

sheramber

it is difficult to reMove stamps nowadays. They have been made so that they split when you do. 

That is because so many frankings miss the actual stamp so people were reusing them.

Also, it may be machine stamped rather than a paper stamp attached.

You could, of course, use the stamped envelope by putting a label over the address panel.