A letter looks exactly like it's from the benefits agency but the return address is a PO box in a different city - should I worry?
Yes, check carefully - a mismatched return address, especially an unrelated PO box, is a common sign of a scam letter designed to imitate official government correspondence.
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Explanation
Scam letters designed to imitate benefits or tax agency correspondence often reproduce official logos, fonts, and formatting very convincingly, since these are usually just copied from publicly available documents or previous genuine letters. However, the return address and payment instructions are harder for scammers to fake convincingly, because they need you to send money or information back to an address or account they actually control, which will not match the agency's real, published addresses.
A genuine government letter's return address will match the agency's official published address for that specific department or region, and any payment details will point to verified official payment channels, not a personal PO box or different bank account than described on the agency's own website. If you notice any mismatch between the return address on the letter and the addresses published on the agency's official website, treat the letter as suspicious.
Before acting on any instructions in a letter with an unusual return address, call the agency's official number, found independently rather than on the letter itself, to confirm whether the letter is genuine.
Common red flags
- Return address doesn't match the agency's officially published addresses
- Payment instructions point to an account or address that seems unofficial
- Contact phone number in the letter differs from the number on the agency's official website
- Letter contains slightly different logo colors, fonts, or layout compared to previous genuine letters you've received
- Unusual urgency or threats inconsistent with the agency's normal correspondence style
- Asks you to reply with sensitive information via post to a different address than usual
What to do now
- Compare the return address against the agency's officially published addresses
- Call the agency using a number found independently, not the one printed on the letter
- Do not send payment or personal information to the address in the suspicious letter
- Keep the letter as evidence if you need to report it
- Report the letter to the agency's fraud team once you've confirmed it's not genuine
- Alert others locally if you believe a batch of similar scam letters may be circulating
Frequently asked questions
Can scammers really copy official letterhead accurately?
Yes, logos and formatting are often just copied from publicly available documents, so appearance alone isn't a reliable way to judge authenticity.
What's the fastest way to check if a letter is genuine?
Call the agency using an independently found number, such as from their official website, rather than any number printed on the letter itself.