For several reasons our phone is in my wife’s maiden name. This has a nice little bonus of knowing if someone contacting us knows us or not. Also my wife’s first name is Kelly so people don’t know if the name is for a man or a woman. Sometimes I’ve answered the phone and the person says ‘Are you Kelly?’ If they as for her old name it is probably some sort of sales thing. (or the phone company)
So recently she got this letter and here is what it says.
*(My wife’s maiden name)
479 (our street)
Brooklyn NY
Mr. or Ms. “Mrs. Zebra’s Maiden Name”
This may seem strange but I would appreciate you help. I am serching for some information on an address very near to your address. In my search, your address came up. I have hit a dead end, which is why I am contacting you. Please allow me to provide you with some background information.
In September of 1945 a letter was sent to my Great-Grandfather with the return address of 476 (ourstreet) Brooklyn, NY. The letter was sent from the first wife of my Grandfather, just prior to their divorce. I am ultimately searching for a possible half-aunt or uncle.
I believe this to be the current address of 476 (our street) Brooklyn, NY (my zip). I think this may be an apartment building, but I have not been able to find any further information. I am hoping that the apartment building is the same from 1945 and I can trace back to find more information on my Grandfather.
This is where I hope you can help me. What I am lookinf for is the current name of this apartment building and/or a point of contact for this apartment building. Any help or suggestions welcome and greatly appreciated. I am eagerly awaiting your response.
Sincerely,*
Then he signs a name and gives two phone numbers with a 256 area code and an email address. (at microxl.com)
Now 476 is right across the street. Both that building and mine are apartment buildings. I’m pretty sure that it and my building are pre-war buildings (the other one for sure) and I don’t see why our addresses would be changed at any time. Even if there were some sort of 911 adjustment I doubt that the even and odd numbers would switch sides.
Go for it. But be safe about it. The person has your address (from a phone book, presumably). Maybe you can send a letter giving the landlord’s name & number, or “super”, or whatever the heck they have, along with a note saying that’s all the help you can offer and any further contact will be ignored. Offer the person NO details about yourself, and if you are contacted again, threaten to call a lawyer. It sounds like a low risk at this point, and you may be doing a Very Good Thing.
If you are keen to help I would wander across the street and ask someone there who is the mail contact for the building and send that name and address to the person including no personal information about yourselves.
You could ignore the letter completely or just say sorry, 476 is still there but 479 is a different building. Try writing to 476.
What’s the scam ? They are just trying to locate an old address. People do this all the time in trying to trace family histories and rely on the kindness of strangers to assist them. I can’t imagine they would go to this trouble just to sniff out personal info about you. Why not just just email them the contact name or tele # for the apartment manager or owner across the street and say that’s all you have.
I don’t think you need to include “Don’t contact me again” warnings at this stage. It seems unnecessary and rude unless they get bothersome.
So how’d he get your name? If he got yours, I would think he could get names of people in the actual building he’s interested in (which is 476, right? and you’re in 479, right? why ask you?).
Seems to me there are far more efficient ways to get the info he wants than by contacting you. Surely what’s being asked for is public record and readily available from some city office.
Logically, if someone were really needing this info and somehow thought contacting local residents was the way to get it, they would contact every resident of your building and possibly other buildings on the street. If only you were contacted, it’s gotta be a scam.
Two things speak volumes to me. First, he sent a letter, but no return mailing address. Second, there’s not even a hint of explanation as to why YOU were contacted. This scenario stinks to high heaven, if you ask me.
With no return address and only long-distance (toll) phone numbers, it’s pushing really hard to get you to send an e-mail. I sure wouldn’t do that–superspam awaits.
I think the best thing to do is ignore the request.
I did find the envelope that it came in and it does give a physical return address. (in Alabama) Recently in the news there was a report about people writing to old folks and claiming to be grand kids or great grand kids and then scaming money.
Is there a title search that is on-line? Then you should be able to plug in an address and find out who owns the building.
479 also has at least 50 to 100 units. My building has 11. Why did he find us and nobody in that building?
It’s just weird and in NYC if it is weird and from a stranger its probably a scam. Though I think I’ll end up helping the guy.
I’m inclined to agree with the people who think this is not a scam, but rather someone trying to do some family research. He’s not asking to come and visit you or anything, it seems like he really just wants the information about the management company or landlord, which is relatively public knowledge although I can see how it might be hard to come up with that if you’re living in Alabama and can’t stroll over to check out the building in person.
Have you ever googled your own address? If you get a hit right away that connects to your wife’s maiden name, then that’s probably how this person found you. It’s possible that there are no hits for the building across the street, and that he simply (and mistakingly) assumed that there was no such building.
If you have a non-personal email address that you use (like a hotmail account), it might be better to use that if you decide to reply.
It sounds innocent. He probably searched for the address on the web, couldn’t find it, and then picked out something close. (It probably came from some online white pages directory.) I can’t imagine any scenario that would indicate a scam or threat. Living in Alabama, he would have a hard time checking out any NYC public records not on the Internet.
Give him the information about the building. If you’re paranoid, use a disposable e-mail address, like Spam Gourmet
Living in Alabama, he would have a hard time checking out any NYC public records not on the Internet.
They don’t answer phones or receive mail at City Hall?
After seeing additional info and other responses, I’m less inclined to see the request as sinister. But I’m still not convinced it isn’t somewhat stupid. Seems to me a little time at his local library with the help of a reference librarian followed by a call and/or letter to the appropriate city office would yield all the info available to any building resident or manager, plus historical info which current residents are unlikely to have. Since data from 1945 seem to be what he’s really after, I would think he’d be far successful contacting an entity that kept records.
Can you image what a nightmare it would be trying to get any kind of information from a large city office ? Press 1 for __ Press 2 for __. etc… etc…
It’s kinda hard for us to play armchair quarterback when we don’t know what resources the letter writer has tried already.
I think the letter sounds sincere. He didn’t ask for the OP to hook them up with a specific person at the other address. That would be a red flag.
This might not be the smartest or most efficient way to get the information, but like I said we don’t know what he’s done already.
My theory on this is: perhaps the person he is looking for has the same last name as Mrs. Zebra’s maiden name. If he plugged in that last name - Brooklyn, NY zip - then it would have pulled up your name and address. Yours was very simular to the one he was looking for - so it would naturally jump out at him. Or as Delphica mentioned - he might have just Googled the address outside of the phone book.
I would set up another email account to correspond with them. Then you haven’t compromised any of your personal information, and if it’s a spam scam then so what - delete the account.
Please keep us posted on what happens… if anything.
Does your name suggest an ethnicity? You might have been picked because of your name. If I’m Irish and looking for an Irish relative, I’d probably write to a Kelly McDonald before a Maria Sanchez or a Salvatore DiSanti. It would just feel more familiar and if my name surname is also Irish, might provoke a sort of empathy that would make you more amenable to go out of your way to get the requested information.
Doesn’t sound like a scam though. Just avoid giving them any personal information. Use e-mail to respond. It’s the most anonymous way.
With the city short of funds, do you think they’re going to spend the time searching the records just because someone asks? I know when I had to search through local records to find something, the people at City Hall just pointed me toward the record books and told me to look myself.
Gary T, to answer your question, No, they don’t answer the phones at NYC City Hall (at least for such a request as this one). A mail request would go unanswered too, or be referred to, say, the Municipal Archives where they would likely respond (after many weeks) with a form letter saying to come and search the records yourself or hire a paid researcher.
As someone who has done historical research I have ocassionally had to resort to methods similar to the one described by the OP – usually with pleasant and positive results. As long as you give no information that makes you vulnerable to being scammed I see no harm.