“Where there is meth there is mail”

Investigators say mail theft and drug abuse usually go hand-in-hand

It is well documented that there is a strong connection between the fast-growing crime of identity theft and the epidemic of meth use nationwide. The vast majority of mail-identity thieves are addicts, stealing mail to support their drug habit.

After a flurry of mail thefts in the greater Sacramento area, federal and local law enforcement officials worked together on “Operation Broken Mailbox” to catch the perpetrators responsible. After announcing more than 20 arrests and nine federal prosecutions, investigators shared some keen insights on the ID theft operation (credit jerome). Investigators say mail theft and drug abuse usually go hand-in-hand.

This poignant segment on Capital Public Radio reinforces the connection between meth and mail theft.

“I used to have a saying that I think still holds true that ‘where there’s meth, there’s mail,” says Greg Campbell with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “There is a correlation between those who are on substance abuse and going out to do things to accommodate their habit.”

We see this day in and day out through the Mail-Identity Theft stories; in some way, shape or form, there is almost always a connection between meth and identity theft.