Do I need to check anything?

carterbrandon

I received a letter addressed to someone who doesn't live, and as far as I know never lived, at my house, marked that only they should open it. I sent it back unopened to the return address marked 'not known here'. When I Googled this return address, it seems that it's the office of a large debt collection agency. Do I need to do anything else?

eskbanker

No - contrary to some beliefs, adverse credit data is only attached to an individual, not an address.

Brie

Given that they have never lived there I would do a quick check of your own credit reports just to ensure there is nothing odd happening.  Unlikely but it may be one step of an identity fraud attempt.  

Should by chance (again very unlikely) someone from a debt agency show up on your doorstep you don't need to let them in, prove who you are, don't even open the door.  

And if you continue to get post from the same place or someone different please note that it is not illegal to open it if it is delivered to your address.  Sometimes that's the only way to know how serious the letters are and whether they might impact you.  But as eskbanker says it's their credit data, not yours.