Is a mail redirection taken out in my name without my knowledge identity fraud?
Yes. Fraudsters redirect your mail to intercept bank cards, account statements, and sensitive documents to take over your financial accounts.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Mail redirection fraud occurs when a criminal files a postal redirection request in your name, diverting your letters to an address they control. With access to your incoming mail, they can intercept new bank cards and PINs, account statements containing card numbers, government correspondence with identity documents, and tax or benefit-related mail. The first sign is often that you stop receiving expected mail. Banks and utilities may begin sending correspondence to an address you do not recognise. If you suspect a redirection has been set up, contact your national postal service immediately, place a fraud alert with credit reference agencies, and notify your bank. In the UK, Royal Mail offers a Mail Redirection Check service.
Speed matters with this fraud because every day of redirected mail gives the criminal more raw material — a bank statement here, a replacement card there — and account takeovers often begin within days of the redirection starting. Alongside cancelling the redirection, ask each of your financial providers to note the fraud on your file and to require additional verification for any address or contact-detail changes. Going forward, switching to paperless statements for your most sensitive accounts reduces what a future redirection could ever intercept.
Common red flags
- Expected post such as bank statements or cards has stopped arriving
- Creditors send communications to an address you don't recognise
- You receive a confirmation letter for a mail redirection you did not request
- Accounts show recent address changes you did not make
What to do now
- Contact your national postal service and ask if a redirection is active on your address
- Place a fraud alert or protective registration with credit reference agencies
- Notify your bank, utility providers, and HMRC or IRS of the suspected fraud
- File a report with your national fraud authority
Frequently asked questions
How would someone set up a mail redirection in my name?
With enough personal information — your name, address, and date of birth — a fraudster can request a redirection online or by post. Data breaches and phishing attacks are common sources of this information.
How can I tell whether missing post is fraud or just a delivery problem?
One late letter is usually nothing. A pattern — several expected items missing, especially financial ones, or confirmation letters for changes you did not make — is the signal that matters. A quick call to your postal service to ask whether a redirection is active on your address settles it either way.