Mail thefts rampant in Sammamish, WA

Sammamish is a stomping ground for mail thieves.  The police blotter from the Sammamish Review documented a rise in mail theft in the area. There is constant threat that your identity could be stolen, bank account hacked and your peace of mind shattered.

5 of 8 reports in the Sammamish Police Blotter are mail theft related. Note the titles:

• Bank Fraud
• Pot Disposal
• Possible Mail Theft
• Prescription Medicine Theft
• Mail Theft Arrest
• More Mail Theft
• Even More Mail Theft
• Mail Theft

Do you see a trend here?  View the original report at the following link or see mail theft reports below.

http://sammamishreview.com/2012/09/27/police-blotter-sept-26

Police Blotter Sept. 26

September 27, 2012

By Administrator

Possible mail theft

A resident on the 22400 block of Southeast 20th Street reported that they had found several mailboxes open Sept. 11. The resident told police that they hadn’t received any mail for several days and said they were concerned that someone had stolen mail from the boxes.

Mail theft arrest

A 32-year-old Seattle man was arrested by Lynnwood Police Sept. 12 and found with an insurance card belonging to a Sammamish resident. The insurance card had been stolen from the Sammamish resident’s mail Sept. 10. The resident, who lives on the 4100 block of 205th Avenue Southeast, reported that a UPS package of vitamins that had been left on her front porch had also gone missing around the same time.

More mail theft

City maintenance workers found a discarded collection of apparently stolen mail Sept. 10. The workers found a manila envelope containing mail belonging to two residents on East Lake Sammamish Parkway. Police contacted the residents and advised them to check whether additional items had been stolen.

Even more mail theft

A resident on the 21000 block of Northeast Fourth Street reported that someone had charged more than $3,000 to two credit cards that went missing from their mailbox between Aug. 26 and Sept. 7. The accounts have been closed. Police have no suspects.

Mail theft

A resident on the 1300 block of 254th Place Southeast had several pieces of mail stolen from their mailbox between Aug. 20 and Aug. 27. A citizen on the 26000 block of Southeast 18th Place had found the mail discarded in their trash can and returned it to the U.S. Postal Service. Sensitive items, including a bank statement, were among the pieces of mail taken. Police have no suspects.

 What could you do to protect yourself, you ask?

• Purchase a high security locking mailbox that can’t be fished or pried open (the Mail Boss is one of the best and most affordable available) – this keeps your mail secure until you can pick it up. Trying to pick it up promptly is not enough because often thieves will actually follow the mailman to steal incoming mail.  They are also offered at your local Sammamish Ace Hardware.
• Only send secure mail with checks or your sensitive personal information via a secure Blue USPS box. No mailbox (even locking mailboxes) can provide outgoing mail security.
• Shred all of your incoming mail before discarding it to prevent stolen mail via dumpster diving.
• Check out more suggestions on how to protect yourself against thieves from the United States Postal Inspections Service at the following link: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/TipThieves.aspx

Don’t be another statistic!  Protect your identity and peace of mind.