Mail Theft and Holiday Season

The holidays are officially here. You can tell, not only because Halloween has come and gone, but also because a tidal wave of catalogs spills out when you open your mailbox. Catalogs, holiday cards and the regular junk mail can dramatically increase the volume of mail you receive, providing thieves with a greater opportunity to steal your identity. During this busy holiday season, protecting your incoming and outgoing mail may seem like a hassle, but becoming an identity theft victim can be even more time-consuming costing you hours of work to restore your good name.

According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, Postal Inspectors investigated almost 3,000 mail fraud cases in 2007. Mail fraud can range from non-delivery of mail-order merchandise to mail actually being stolen. The private information contained in your mail can be just what a criminal needs to steal your identity. During this busy holiday season, safe mail habits are more important than ever.

Use a Locked Mailbox: Whether stealing incoming or outgoing mail, thieves can gain valuable information about you that no one else should know. Whether it’s the statement for the credit card you use the most, an end-of-year offer from your bank, or just a letter including the name of your pet, thieves looking to steal your identity are thrilled to find personal information in your mail. How can you protect yourself from having your mail stolen? Get a mailbox with a lock, and keep it locked. Limit the number of keys for your mailbox. Although not completely secure, a locked mailbox can deter a potential mail thief and help prevent identity theft.

Walk Your Important Outgoing Mail Into the Post Office: Although walking your mail into the Post Office is an extra hassle, especially during the holidays, it is nothing compared to dealing with the potential of having your bank account cleaned out by a check washing thief. Whenever you are mailing checks or important personal information, don’t rely on your neighborhood mailbox for security. Handing it to an actual postal employee is your safest route.

Use Check-Safe Ink: You’ve protected yourself by walking your check into the Post Office, but sometimes your check can still fall into the wrong hands. Check washing thieves are able to erase the ink on your check using common household cleaning products—literally giving them a blank, signed check. When writing checks, always use pens from your local office supply store that state they have “check-safe” ink. Most gel, rollerball, or fountain pens fall into this category. To further protect yourself from check washing, be sure to fill out all the blanks on your check, including the date and memo fields.

Promptly Get the Mail: The United States Postal Inspection Service strongly recommends that you pick up mail from your mailbox as soon as possible after delivery, especially if you are expecting to receive a check or merchandise. If you can’t pick up your mail each day, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to do it for you. The U.S. Postal Service can also hold your mail if you’ll be traveling during the holidays. Click here for instructions on how to put a hold on your mail.

Report Mail Theft: Approximately 40 percent of the arrests made by Postal Inspectors last year were related to mail theft. If you receive mail with the contents missing, or fail to receive mail you were expecting, then you may be a victim of mail fraud. Contact the shipper first to be sure the items were sent properly. If you determine that the shipper was not at fault, then file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Your information can help Postal Inspectors put a stop to one more mail thief.

Protecting your mail may be the last thing on your mind these days, but following these few suggestions can help keep both your mail and your identity safer this holiday season.