Dude, Where’s My Mail?
Across the nation, residents wonder if their mail is safe
Have you seen your mail lately? Just because you go to your mailbox and open it up and find nothing in it doesn’t mean that you did not receive any mail that day. More than likely, it means that somebody else is walking around with your mail… or should I say your credit card bills, checks, medical information, address, contacts, and so on.
Some people may think that mail theft won’t happen in their neighborhood. I used to think that too as a salesperson… probably certain areas didn’t really need security locking mailboxes, such as quaint coastal communities or remote rural towns. But then, I am proved wrong.
Residents in Lincoln City, Oregon feel the same way tonight, and are wondering if their mail has gone missing. This news article reports that over 100 residents of this coastal city became victims of mail theft recently.
Now I know many people may be thinking, “That’s just anecdotal in one little city… it won’t happen to me.” Actually, there is a pretty good chance that it could happen to you. Millions of Americans have their mail stolen every year.
Thousands of miles away, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has just warned residents of Marshalltown, Iowa to be very aware of their mail. This stems from a recent arrest made in this town where the U.S. Postal Inspection Service “located a large volume of stolen mail.” Read the article for yourself here.
In the south, Augusta, Georgia residents have also learned about mail theft the rough way. In 30 days there have been over 30 cases of mail theft. Residents’ checks as well as all other sorts of mail have gone missing. The Augusta Chronicle reports that investigators say “Mail theft has just gotten out of hand.”
I’m telling you, mail and identity theft happens everywhere. I too used to be a skeptic of what I thought was fear mongering. Now I know that no one is safe without a secure locking mailbox. And I am happy to help American residents across the nation make this realization now.