USPS averages over 146 billion mail deliveries in a year, so how likely is it for you to encounter incidents with your mailbox security? In 2018, USPS had 197,509 reports about missing mail, tampered mail, and mail delivered to the wrong address. You can decrease the likelihood of becoming a victim by using Informed Delivery, and technology such as Alexa notification.

 

Why is mail theft committed in the first place? Mail theft is one of the easiest and most rewarding crimes; criminals perform it to gain access to your personal information through sensitive documents sent in the mail. With credit card applications in hand, they then commit identity theft and several flavors of fraud including, bank, employment, loan fraud and more. When was the last time you checked your mailbox security?

 

Here are some healthy practices that will help secure your sensitive mail.

 

1. Take the time to review your credit reports annually. You’ve put a lot of work into taking care of your credit scores. https://annualcreditreport.com
2. Make sure your mailbox has a notification system and that the mailbox is clearly visible from within your home. https://alydi.com
3. When sending mail, deposit it in the courier collection boxes or give it directly to the courier herself.
4. If you are expecting a delivery that is valuable or has your personal information, make sure to monitor the tracking information and verify delivery.
5. Be alert if you see your mail being tampered with call 911. If you suspect your mail has been tampered with, file a complaint at https://usps.gov
6. Aside from reviewing your credit reports, review your online bank statement to detect any possible anomalies.
7. One of the best practices is to reduce the number of instances that your sensitive information is delivered through the mail by subscribing to paperless billing. Go Green.

 

Be security minded when thinking about your mailbox; having your sensitive information compromised can cause years of frustration. Invest in mailbox security, download a tracker app, use USPS Informed Delivery, and develop a relationship with your delivery person, they have great stories about mail fraud and tips to stay safe, but please keep your pets inside, my mailman gets nervous around my dog. Mail theft is a felony and federal crime; it imposes heavy penalties; however, since it is one of the easiest crimes to commit, it is one of the most prevalent