Unauthorised access to the electoral Roll for Estate Agent 'phishing' - not OK - but from where?

JimboMarimbo

I was under the impression that when filling in the annual council tax/election residents list, that this would not be released to any person or company except for legitimate security reasons, whatever they may be, but certainly NOT for any person or company 'phishing' for business purposes.

I was surprised therefore to have received in paper post, a letter addressed to me - all my three names in CAPITALS (but no Mr, Mrs  or Ms., etc.) offering to buy my house, 'particularly' my house, 'no fees', as a quick sale or 'something more flexible'.

I should mention that I have lived as sole owner/occupier for more than a decade, and have never given my name and address to any company in three name format. Never.

Something not right here - am I first to spot a new scamming-by-paper trend? Obviously I'm not going to 'reply' to the letter in any of the methods they suggest. But how did they get my details? Leaked from where?

Section62

JimboMarimbo said:

I was under the impression that when filling in the annual council tax/election residents list, that this would not be released to any person or company except for legitimate security reasons, whatever they may be, but certainly NOT for any person or company 'phishing' for business purposes.

I was surprised therefore to have received in paper post, a letter addressed to me - all my three names in CAPITALS (but no Mr, Mrs  or Ms., etc.) offering to buy my house, 'particularly' my house, 'no fees', as a quick sale or 'something more flexible'.

I should mention that I have lived as sole owner/occupier for more than a decade, and have never given my name and address to any company in three name format. Never.

Something not right here - am I first to spot a new scamming-by-paper trend? Obviously I'm not going to 'reply' to the letter in any of the methods they suggest. But how did they get my details? Leaked from where?

There's a public 'open' register and a closed register.  The open version is available to buy, and some companies will use this as a source of names to go with addresses.  The closed register is only available for electoral purposes, and some limited commercial use (e.g. credit reference agencies).

You can opt out of the open register - if you haven't done so then that might be the way the organisation got your details.

Alternatively, if the three names are your legal name then there are other ways organisations can get that information.

My gut feel is the letter is probably just targeted junk mail rather than a scam.

user1977

JimboMarimbo said:

I should mention that I have lived as sole owner/occupier for more than a decade, and have never given my name and address to any company in three name format. Never.

Not even the Land Registry?

pumas

The open Electoral Roll is available on ancestry sites to any and every one.

Keep_pedalling

user1977 said:

JimboMarimbo said:

I should mention that I have lived as sole owner/occupier for more than a decade, and have never given my name and address to any company in three name format. Never.

Not even the Land Registry?

Where you details are available to anyone for a small fee,

theartfullodger

user1977 said:

JimboMarimbo said:

I should mention that I have lived as sole owner/occupier for more than a decade, and have never given my name and address to any company in three name format. Never.

Not even the Land Registry?

Just got name and address with deeds of owner of troublesome tenanted house from land registry for £7. Took 3 minutes. Owner was company but directors & main shareholders for free from companies house 

Why are you so shy? 


 Been contacted by lettings agent by mail who wanted to undercut my current agent for a house I let out.

Then there's the clever people who know how to use many more sources e.g. 192.com

RAS

pumas said:

The open Electoral Roll is available on ancestry sites to any and every one.

Not quite, only to 2018 and the decade was only added about 2-3 years ago.

However more recent information is available at 192.com. It'll show if anyone with the relevant surname is still registered at the address, or when they stopped being registered there. That might be because they've moved or because they've joined the closed register.

pumas

RAS said:

Not quite, only to 2018 and the decade was only added about 2-3 years ago.

ancestry with a small a! Available on Findmypast, 2002 to 2025. index results free with just a user id, showing name and street.