Monzo Have Sent Me Someone Else's Debit Card

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075191#Comment_82075191

How long ago was that? Among other things, I can't see what you describe as being compliant with GDPR for a start…

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075198#Comment_82075198

must admit I did wonder at times - this was just over a year ago.

I did see similar with my employer before that when I was working in a pensions admin team about 15 years back and we were trying to track down missing members when we had post returned "not at this address". many had moved and not updated their info with the pension scheme and others had died.

GeoffTF

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075102#Comment_82075102

I am not offering advice, but here is an article on this subject:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/household-bills/can-open-someone-elses-mail-37389579

"A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s
detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which
he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him."

I am not a lawyer, but I do not believe that you have a reasonable excuse for opening letter from a bank that has a return address on the back, unless you open it by accident. Are you intending to act to the addressee's detriment? It could be argued that you are intentionally violating the privacy of the addressee.

Returning the letter to the bank shows that you are not involved in any fraudulent attempt to use your address. Such an attempt would fail anyway, unless you are foolish enough to hand the letter to someone who knocks on the door.

inspectorperez

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075260#Comment_82075260

Thank you for that.

Going with my gut instinct tbh. Have written to Monzo this morning (following emails yesterday) and lodged report with Action Fraud.

Chief_of_Staffy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075260#Comment_82075260

You misunderstand. You can open other people's mail delivered to regardless of the reason, as long as that reason is not motivated by criminal intent. There is no law specifically for mail that has arrived at its destination.

So even if the OP opened the mail because he was bored, or wanted to make a paper aeroplane, it wouldn't be illegal. The illegality lies with intent, and practically speaking, action based on intent. In other words, unless the OP opened the mail, took the card and tried to use it to buy a TV or whatever, he's within the law.

GeoffTF

Many years ago now, I had a visit from the local council who doubted that I was the only person living at my address. They said that they had been given that information by a credit reference agency. There was nothing on my credit reports the suggest that. I assumed that the agency had collated all their credit reports to find people who had given my address as their own. I was obvious to the investigator that I was living alone. I expect that people were using my address for financial fraud. That was the last I heard of it. It was not my problem. Anyone can give a bank my address. Several people reportedly gave Buckingham Palace as their address when they successfully opened accounts with one of the app only banks. I have not heard any reports of the King being accused of being complicit in financial fraud as a result.

GeoffTF

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075347#Comment_82075347

No, I do not believe that I have misunderstood. In particular, the article says:

"It may even be the case that mail arrives for ex-partners or family
members who have moved away. But make sure you are clued up on the law
before thinking about opening mail that's not for you."

There are other similar articles on the web. I do not believe that the OP will go to jail for his transgression. Nonetheless, I do believe that returning the letter to the bank unopened is the correct action. That is what I did.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075380#Comment_82075380

That's a Mirror article, rather than something credible and authoritative, but even then it concedes that you should "make sure you are clued up on the law", i.e. as opposed to believing sloppy Retch plc 'journalism'…

Threads about this always highlight the importance of "incorrectly delivered", which, in the context of the Postal Services Act 2000, means delivered to an address other than that on the item, rather than an addressee who doesn't live there.

Chief_of_Staffy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075380#Comment_82075380

I'm unsure what you're disputing, but I'm not wrong in what I said.

bobblebob

I rarely check that post arrives in my letterbox is for me or not. I live alone, so if something drops through my letterbox i open it without looking

But certainly if it has the OPs home address on i can see why you would open it and not even see the name