There have been incidents of Babbacombe Road residents having items of personal mail stolen from their properties and these documents used to open multiple fraudulent bank accounts. In some cases victims have had over 15 accounts opened online in their name without their knowledge. The Police have been informed and the Post Office have been requested to ensure that all mail is fully posted through letter boxes. However, please also be attentive and ensure that personal mail is not left unattended in unsecured front porches or in external mail boxes. Attempts have also been made by scammers to “fish” mail out through letter boxes so please do not leave mail where it can be stolen in this manner.
There have also been reports of break-ins to properties and cars and groups of unknown people hanging round front doors which may be associated to the above thefts. Please keep all your doors and windows secure and, again, ensure that no private mail or documents is easily accessible to opportunist thieves. This is especially relevant to owners of flats who have shared entry or public mailboxes. Please spread this message to your neighbours and report any concerns to the Police.
As a matter of course, old bank statements, bills or invoices that carry your name and address should not be left outside in recycling or rubbish either. The most secure method of disposing of documents that show personal ID information is either by shredding or burning. This may seem like overkill, but it sadly appears to be necessary.
Keep your identity safe.