Mail theft often looks like pried open boxes and broken locks, but not always. With mail fishing, your mail can be stolen right out of your box without your locks ever being tampered with. A good locking mailbox should provide a good defense at worst, and preventative measures at best, like the Mail Boss, Mail Manager, and Package Master.
What is tool fishing?
Tool fishing is the removing mail from a locking mailbox with the use of a tool, like a claw, tong, or a pole with a sticky substance on the end of it. It takes a lot of effort and finesse, so usually tool-fishing thieves will target locking mailboxes they believe will have significant amounts of sensitive mail. This is the method most commonly used to steal mail from the blue USPS collection mailboxes.
Any locking mailbox is vulnerable to tool fishing: Mail has to go in somewhere, so with the right tool it can be removed from that somewhere as well. What sets locking mailboxes apart is how many deterrents are put into place.
Slot design vs. bin design
Some mailboxes are far easier to fish than others. Locking mailboxes typically have either a slot design or a bin design.
With slot designs, mail is deposited through an incoming mail slot. With bin designs, mail and packages are placed in a bin and deposited inside the mailbox when the bin is closed.
Shorter mailboxes with large incoming mail slots are the easiest to fish with a tool, as there is only one opening to navigate and less distance to the mail. Bin designs are more of a challenge as the pivotal movement of the bin can require greater finesse to manage.
Bin designs with other impediments (like exceptional height or interior obstructions like claws or baffles) are the most difficult to fish with a tool. With greater distance to the mail, or additional moving parts to circumvent, tool fishing is more challenging.
How our boxes measure up
When evaluating how our mailboxes do against tool fishing, it's first important to know the difference between models. While the Mail Boss features a slot design, the Mail Manager and the Package Master feature a bin design.
Good: The Mail Boss
The incoming mail slot of the Mail Boss is only 1.9″ in height, just big enough to accept a box of checks. The mailbox is 13.75″ tall which means that while you can reach your hand into the incoming mail slot, it is challenging to reach a tool down into the mailbox due to the height of the box and the angle required.
Better: The Mail Manager
The Mail Manager features a bin design that makes it more challenging for operating a tool in the mail compartment area. This design also makes it more difficult to remove the mail past the bin.
Best: The Package Master
Due to the Package Master's patented Mail Shield technology that prevents hand fishing, there is only a very small 1.25″ slot for inserting a tool and removing mail. No other residential locking mailbox on the market has this baffle feature.
A good locking mailbox should at least provide a great defense against tool fishing like the Mail Boss or provide significant protection against fishing like the Mail Manager and the Package Master. Not sure which mailbox is right for you? Check out our buying guide.
Still Have Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us with additional inquiries!