Forward your mail? Need a lawyer?

[Mike Lewis]

When I take long trips I use a mail forwarding service. Every couple of weeks I have my mail sent to the nearest town to where I think I'll be camping in a week or so. The mail arrives bundled in a big envelope addressed to "General Delivery, Michael Lewis, [town and zip]". I've done this for a few years now and it works fine.

My last mail delivery was to Duluth, Minnesota. When I picked up my mail today I had the large envelope from the forwarding service as expected, and I had another envelope, this one from a Minneapolis law firm. It was addressed to: Michael Lewis, General Delivery, Duluth, MN 55806. The envelope noted that it was an advertisement. The letter inside started off like this:

"Dear Michael Lewis: We understand that you have been arrested for a drug related charge..." then it went on to advise me of my rights regarding search and seizure, right to counsel, etc., ending with a phone number for me to call the firm. For the record, I have no arrests of any kind (yet) and I am not a drug user or dealer.

So, what's going on here?
(1) Are drug users and dealers conducting their business via post office general delivery? (my guess)
(2) Am I being confused with another Michael Lewis who gets his mail via general delivery in Duluth?
(3) Something else I haven't thought of?
Finally, if (1) is correct, is the post office selling their lists of general delivery clients to law firms? How did the firm get my name?

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

When I take long trips I use a mail forwarding service. Every couple of weeks I have my mail sent to the nearest town to where I think I'll be camping in a week or so. The mail arrives bundled in a big envelope addressed to "General Delivery, Michael Lewis, [town and zip]". I've done this for a few years now and it works fine.

My last mail delivery was to Duluth, Minnesota. When I picked up my mail today I had the large envelope from the forwarding service as expected, and I had another envelope, this one from a Minneapolis law firm. It was addressed to: Michael Lewis, General Delivery, Duluth, MN 55806. The envelope noted that it was an advertisement. The letter inside started off like this:

"Dear Michael Lewis: We understand that you have been arrested for a drug related charge..." then it went on to advise me of my rights regarding search and seizure, right to counsel, etc., ending with a phone number for me to call the firm. For the record, I have no arrests of any kind (yet) and I am not a drug user or dealer.

So, what's going on here?
(1) Are drug users and dealers conducting their business via post office general delivery? (my guess)
(2) Am I being confused with another Michael Lewis who gets his mail via general delivery in Duluth?
(3) Something else I haven't thought of?
Finally, if (1) is correct, is the post office selling their lists of general delivery clients to law firms? How did the firm get my name?

I thought the only crack that was dealt with in Duluth was handled with extra long t-shirts.

Probably someone with the same name lives in Duluth and the sorter put this with yours. Similar to how I get mail for an address on another street that has the same number and starts with a D all the time.

[MikeS]

With a name like Michael I'm leaning toward #2.

[KarenH]

I recently changed my 101-year-old dad's mailing address to mine (through the USPS) and have started to receive unsolicited mail to him at my address (not a forwarded address). I suspect the USPS sells the address changes to raise revenue.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I recently changed my 101-year-old dad's mailing address to mine (through the USPS) and have started to receive unsolicited mail to him at my address (not a forwarded address). I suspected the USPS sells the address changes to raise revenue.

They do indeed, and it's a peeve of mine. You apparently can't opt out either. As soon as the change of address card hits the post office, it's also hitting a list used by marketers.

I love sending packages via USPS vs the other guys because they are reliable and relatively inexpensive. But I hate the fact that 90% of the mail filling our box every day is junk mail and ads. That's alot of dead trees and bulk for landfills.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

T I hate the fact that 90% of the mail filling our box every day is junk mail and ads. That's alot of dead trees and bulk for landfills.

Without it, there would be no mail.
Without it, I'd get no mail.

[Fox hunt]

I get a call about every two weeks on my land line ( keep it because my cell phone service is bad at my home) telling me I am going to be arrested if i don't call immediately and pay up. Or its the IRS needing immediate payment.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

I get a call about every two weeks on my land line ( keep it because my cell phone service is bad at my home) telling me I am going to be arrested if i don't call immediately and pay up. Or its the IRS needing immediate payment.

The India IRS scam. They did manage to arrest one large ring of them a few weeks ago in India, after the US government pressured the Indian government to crack down.

When I have the time, I find them entertaining and have played along a couple times. Waste 10 or 20 minutes of their time then tell them to stop scamming people and hang up. Maybe my wasting some of their time prevented someone else from getting scammed, I dunno. Fun anyway. On the last one I told the guy I chose jail over the fee, and I was ready for the police to show up and take me away. Confused silence on the other end.

[Fox hunt]

scams on the land line are constant

[dfandrews]

Random thought: We know that scammers get some of the phone numbers from lists generated from posted numbers, so....
If a thread just for posting scam callers' numbers exists, won't they just start robocalling each other's phone #'s?

[cpaharley2008]

I routinely answer the phone with caller ID "unknown" or "anonymous" with the phrase "IRS, can I help you", they hang up..... sometimes "FBI, York Office" gets the same result, no return calls. I try to scam the scammer, if it continues, I'll block the number.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I routinely answer the phone with caller ID "unknown" or "anonymous" with the phrase "IRS, can I help you", they hang up..... sometimes "FBI, York Office" gets the same result, no return calls. I try to scam the scammer, if it continues, I'll block the number.

Good one. I'll add that to my repertoire.

[tractors1]

We're all in the eternal database with no administrator. I routinely get junk mail for my father, who died 23 years ago.........

[oldwave]

My friend has a whistle he blows into the phone.

CLassic

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

W
"Dear Michael Lewis: We understand that you have been arrested for a drug related charge..." then it went on to advise me of my rights regarding search and seizure, right to counsel, etc., ending with a phone number for me to call the firm. For the record, I have no arrests of any kind (yet) and I am not a drug user or dealer.

Well, you certainly weren't sharing at the boler 50th, or did you lock the drugs up at the border before crossing?

[Jim Bennett]

All the calls I get from the CRA are recorded messages telling me I am being charged with fraud. A voice mail, seriously?

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Well, you certainly weren't sharing at the boler 50th, or did you lock the drugs up at the border before crossing?

I don't want my detour to the Northwest Angle to look any more suspicious than it does already.

[gbaglo]

So, now border service will be checking your phone and find Bennett referencing that you didn't share your drugs.

Doo Doo, doo doo...

[Mike Lewis]

Nah. I already know the border people love me.