From: bigbrian 
Newsgroups: uk.legal uk.finance uk.telecom.mobile
Subject: Re: Mobile phone- identity theft?
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 14:48:16 +0100

On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 10:32:03 +0100, Alex Heney 
wrote:

>On 14 Oct 2005 02:13:23 -0700, "Pat" 
>wrote:
>
>
>>Today, I just received 4 letters addressed to this non-existent person
>>at my address.  One of such a letter was opened and appear to be from
>>Carphone Warehouse's creditor acting on its behalf to collect overdue
>>money.  I have naturally written back to Carphone Warehouse and its
>>creditor to confirm the non-existent person has never lived at my
>>address (I am the owner) and has no association with any household
>>members whatsoever.
>>
>
>You shouldn't open the letters. They are not yours to open.

The scenario outlined by the OP is exactly the reason why you *should*
open post addressed to strangers at your address.

>Just write "Not known at this address" on the outside, and put them
>back in the post box.
>
>>However, what protection have I got (e.g. under the Data Protection
>>Act[1998]).  
>
>Protection from what?
>
>>Note that Carphone Warehouse did not seem to have acted
>>upon my verbal and written notifications that the person they tried to
>>write to does not exist.  Would anything bad appear in my credit file
>>now that this non-existent person is owning Carphone Warehouse a large
>>sum of money?
>
>No.
>
>You are not the person involved.

But he may well become the person affected.

Brian