Every year, the number of mail theft complaints increase and scammers are continuing to find new ways to steal your unopened mail right out of your mailbox. By getting their hands on your mail, your personal and financial information is a lot more in their reach than you may think.
It’s crucial to take these extra precautions to better protect yourselves in order to not fall victim.
- Retrieve your mail promptly every day or ask a trusted person to do so for you
- Do not leave any outgoing mail with a method of payment or personal information in your mailbox
- Sign up for free Informed Delivery® to see incoming mail in your email so you know what can be expected to arrive in that day's mail
- If you’ll be out of town for an extended period of time, submit a request to have the post office hold your mail delivery until you return
- Make the switch to paperless billing so important bills are never in your mailbox
- Drop outgoing mail in your mailbox as close to delivery or pick-up time as possible
- Report any suspected mail theft to local law enforcement immediately
According to the Postal Inspection Service, recent trends and upticks in mail theft are due to several factors, primarily the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in an increase in parcel volume and economic impact payments and unemployment insurance payments that were sent by mail.
What to do if You’ve Fallen Victim to Mail Theft
- Report it to the United States Postal Inspection Service
- Report any fraud incidents to:
- Your states Attorney General
- Federal Trade Commission
- Your Financial Institution
- Set up Fraud Alerts on your credit reports & monitor them closely
As a community bank, we are here to help you spot scams to avoid falling victim and get back on your feet if your personal and financial information is compromised or stolen. For more tips on protecting your information, read more of our Privacy & Cybersecurity blogs to help protect yourself and your information from other types of scams.
