Postal pirates on the prowl for your mail
The check’s in the mail. Or is it?
That sense of security implicit with depositing that payment in the corner mailbox has been breached by a slew of recent drop-box breaks-ins.
Masslive reported that officials in two Massachusetts towns said suspects robbed United States Postal Service mailboxes Sunday night and made off with outgoing mail.
The thefts were just the latest incidences of Postal Service drop boxes being targeted.
Following the robberies Sunday night in Weston and Arlington, police in both towns said mail thefts have been an ongoing problem in the region.
And these two weekend robberies didn’t occur at some isolated location, which underscores the lengths to which thieves will go to loot USPS property — and the booty it contains.
The Weston Police Department said in a Facebook statement that the mailbox right outside the Post Office on Colpitts Road was robbed Sunday night. Officers quickly spotted the suspects’ car, the department said, but the driver took off at high speeds, making it unsafe for police to pursue.
Sometime later, the same vehicle arrived at another town’s main Post Office, this time in Arlington on Court Street. Weston police said the same suspects broke into the outdoor mailbox and sped away as Arlington officers arrived.
The Arlington Police Department said in a statement it was investigating the robbery along with the Postal Service and other law enforcement departments across the region.
Police Chief Julie Flaherty advised anyone whomailed a check over the weekend at the Court Street post office to cancel the check and notify their bank.
Weston police issued a similar warning. “Assume that (checks) have been stolen and will likely be altered and result in a forgery against your account,” the department said.
Other similar thefts have occurred recently at other postal service mailboxes across the area.
Police said multiple Postal Service mailboxes were targeted in Needhamin December, and in January, a mail carrier in Peabody was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight.
The suspect stole themail carrier’s keys used to access a mail drop box, police said.
Eastern Massachusetts drop boxes aren’t the only ones on thieves’ radars.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, that region has been hit hard with mail fraud, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In July, a scheme to steal and alter checks in 2021 led to federal charges against three men.
Authorities say they attempted to steal $200,000 by altering dozens of stolen personal and business checks during the months-long scheme. The three suspects were charged with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, and possession of stolen USPS keys.
Acutely aware this type of thievery has been on the rise nationwide, the United States Postal Service has urged customers to avoid using those blue drop boxes, especially on Sundays and federal holidays.
Instead, the USPS advises people to utilize more secure locations, like post offices or in-the-wall mail slots.
Postal officials believe criminal elements throughout the country use the Internet to strategically target drop- off boxes, by monitoring collection times and then breaking into drop boxes after the last pick-up of the day, or on Sundays and holidays, when there are no mail pick-ups.
Besides telling people to utilize in-person transactions to ensure theirmail is securely handled, USPS advises customers to sign up for Informed Delivery. With this service, customers, after verifying their identity, can set up tracking notifications, reminders for scheduling, and digital signature authorization for delivered mail and packages.
Aside from the USPS’ precautions, we urge using common-sense steps to avoid the likelihood of mail theft.
If using a drop box, make certain your mail won’t sit there overnight or all weekend. Be aware of pick-up schedules to ensure that doesn’t occur.
That way your mail — and the checks therein — will reach their intended destination.