Letter from the Met Police

[Alan Medic]

My OH was involved in a very minor motoring incident on Barry Rd a few weeks ago. Her wingmirror touched a car door which was being opened roadside as she was passing it. She stopped and they exchanged details. The following day she got a call from the other parties insurance company. No indication from them as to how they were going to proceed, if at all.

Now a letter from the Met (Traffic Criminal Justice Unit) has arrived. It quotes the correct car reg number, but not my OH's name. The letter is addressed to her known as name (like a nickname) and her formal first name. No surname. It also refers to an incident on Barry Rd, 50 metres south of the junction with BARRY ROAD.

The letter requests she sends (assuming it's her)insurance documentation and a copy of her driving licence. I don't know what to make of this. Anyone have a clue what's going on here?

[Moovart]

Sounds highly dubious to me.

[Alan Medic]

I should add that the letter includes a contact name, number and email address. Plus a pre-paid envelope.

[Spartacus]

Try calling our SNT officers and asking them to verify it's genuine.

If the information is actually required it can be presented at a police station rather then through the post to remove any doubt for you.

[malumbu]

It sounds purely civil to me ie nothing to do with the police and as such a highly sophisticated scam. There is stuff on line from the Traffic Criminal Justice Unit - it seems to take forever for them to take any action.

We got one once which requested payment for the congestion charge - a smaller amount than it actually is, for a car that had not been in the zone, and not registered in any case to the person they contacted. There's no doubt lots of info on all of us that is sold on to scamsters.

[Sainey]

THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT SEND DETAILS TO THIS INSURANCE COMPANY OR ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ALLEGED POLICE LETTER!

A LETTER FROM THE POLICE REGARDING YOUR CAR WILL HAVE THE CORRECT DETAILS, ADDRESSED TO THE CORRECT OWNER.

I ADVISE YOU TO TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE TO THE LOCAL POLICE WHO WILL BE HAPPY TO CHECK IT OUT FOR YOU.

[ianr]

> Plus a pre-paid envelope.

Presumably with a Business Reply licence, and to a verifiable MPS address, probably in Sidcup?

[Alan Medic]

ianr Wrote:

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> > Plus a pre-paid envelope.

>

> Presumably with a Business Reply licence, and to a

> verifiable MPS address, probably in Sidcup?

Yes, which makes look all the more genuine.

[alex_b]

It sounds like the other party?s insurers have made a mistake with the name, cannot verify your partners? licence or insurance and have passed this across to the police. Our insurer did the same when we were hit by a car being driven by someone who wasn?t insured on the car she was driving. Presumably sending the police the details they?ve requested )and informing your insurers of the claim) will resolve this.

[Alan Medic]

This is getting weirder and weirder. According to the 'Met Police' who wanted my OH's insurance details etc, the incident was reported by an officer who attended the scene. There was no officer at the scene and the other party departed before my wife did.

I'm really not sure wtf is going on here. Why would an officer make this up?

[ianr]

> There was no officer at the scene.

How do you know?

[Huggers]

could the door have been opened deliberately into the path of your wing mirror?

this would be a scam

[diable rouge]

If it was a scam, what's the purpose, to gain someone's ID?

There are far easer ways to do that...

[Alan Medic]

ianr Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> > There was no officer at the scene.

>

> How do you know?

I believe my wife. Are you suggesting he was hiding in a bush taking notes?

[ianr]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ianr Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > > There was no officer at the scene.

> >

> > How do you know?

>

> I believe my wife. Are you suggesting

> he was hiding in a bush taking notes?

I was thinking of the possibility that s/he was in the car.

[alex_b]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ianr Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > > There was no officer at the scene.

> >

> > How do you know?

>

> I believe my wife. Are you suggesting he was

> hiding in a bush taking notes?

One possibility that occurred to me is that the person in the other car may have subsequently called the police (perhaps claiming that your wife didn?t stop or that some other offence was committed) and so an officer attended after your wife had left.

[Alan Medic]

alex_b Wrote:

>

> One possibility that occurred to me is that the

> person in the other car may have subsequently

> called the police (perhaps claiming that your wife

> didn?t stop or that some other offence was

> committed) and so an officer attended after your

> wife had left.

Except they exchanged details and even took photo's of each others' licences. Also, the other party departed the 'scene' first. So how an officer could make a report and not get my wife's name correct is astounding to me.