Rash of Mail Thefts in La Salle, Canada – July 24th, 2018
Protect yourself from Mail Theft – Especially while you’re on vacation! We’re in the final stretch of summer; it’s the perfect time to enjoy a vacation before settling into the fall. Don’t let your vacation, or your daily life, be interrupted by mail theft!
This week in La Salle, Canada over 100 mailboxes have been broken into, leaving people scrambling to make sure that they won’t become the victims of identity theft. Police believe the pair of thieves, whom were caught and arrested, forged their name onto the checks they stole and cashed them in their own names.
According to the CSID, the average cost to ‘fix’ your identity once it’s been stolen is a whopping ~$1,300. And that doesn’t take into account the time, effort, complexity and emotional strain of the process. An investment into a locking security mail box, such as a Mail Boss, is a worthy venture indeed.
Here are some preemptive measures you can take to protect yourself from identity theft –
- Purchase and install a robust locking mail box, such as a Mail Boss curbside or wall-mount box.
- Carry your cards and information in an RFID-blocking wallet or purse.
- Use different passwords for your online accounts, especially email as it is the way in which all passwords for other accounts are recovered.
- Enable two-step authorizations on available online accounts, especially email.
- Never give your passwords to anybody.
- Don’t fall victim to phone call and email scams. Disregard anything that seems suspicious and inquire directly with the association or business that is claimed.
- Never send sensitive outgoing mail in your mail box. Outgoing mail is never secure unless shipped directly from a post-office.
- Consider starting a neighborhood watch program. By exchanging work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors you can watch each other’s mailboxes (as well as homes).
- Tell your Post Office when you’ll be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.
- Opt out of credit card offers and junk mail.