It invades our homes, dropping onto our doormats in its millions and costs the taxpayer a fortune to get rid of. It might be a menace in our mailbox but without junk mail, would our postal service survive? Panorama reporter Tom Heap asks whether junk mail is only good for one thing, burning it to heat his home, and investigates whether Royal Mail is addicted to the darker side of the letters business – scam mail.
Mail scammers con public out of ‘£2.4bn a year’
Vulnerable people are increasingly falling victim to scammers using tricks like bogus lotteries and fake prizes, to con them out of their life savings. It is estimated the letters con people into parting with around £2.4bn every year.
Charities are the worst at sending out junk mail. Always getting mail from them asking for a donation. While your sympathetic to their cause,you just have to ignore them.You always feel the cost of collating and mailing this stuff must negate any income they may make,that could be used for the purposes intended.Junk mail and Call Centres have become something of a scourge to our wonderful little modern world.