Mail Theft Monday – 12/26/2017

Florida man, Bend woman charged in mail, ID thefts

Mail found scattered over five miles of Ward Road

BEND, Ore. – Mail scattered along miles of roads east of Bend and in northeast Bend and a credit card theft from a car led to the arrest of a Florida man and Bend woman late Thursday, accused of more than 25 cases of mail theft and several thefts from vehicles, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Friday. Deputies received a report Thursday morning of several pieces of mail scattered along the road in the area of Ward Road and Ropp Lane east of Bend, sheriff’s Sgt. William Bailey said. The responding deputy found mail scattered over a five-mile section of Ward Road.

Christopher Paulson, Serenity Johnson (Photos: Deschutes County Jail)

It can be hard to tell if you are at risk for mail theft. One of the reasons mail theft can be so difficult to deal with is there are no immediate signs of its occurrence. By the time you realize something has gone missing, it may be too late. Of course, there are steps to help you prevent mail theft, but there are also steps to find out if you are at a particularly high risk. If you pay attention to the following steps, while asking yourself a few crucial questions, you can easily minimize your risk for mail theft.

Step 1- Find out about the area that you live in

Ask yourself if you live in an area where there is reported high risk of mail theft. If you’re not sure, then consult your neighbors and others who spend a fair amount of time in your area. Ask them if they have ever had anything stolen or if they know someone who has. If this yields no results you can always turn to your local law enforcement for information and means of prevention.

Step 2- Do you put yourself at risk?

Ask yourself if you have anything worth stealing (from a thief’s point of view) in your mail correspondence. Do you receive checks or cash in the mail? What about mail-in credit card offers? Anything of value or containing your personal information is always at risk when it’s put in the mail system. Do what you can to minimize your risk by eliminating yourself as a target.

Step 3- Are you being as vigilant as possible?

If you are really worried about your risk for mail theft, there is always more you can do. Have especially sensitive items shipped to a post office box for a small fee. Have your mail held at the post office when you’re on vacation. Get a locking mailbox. Be prompt when retrieving mail from your box; don’t leave mail sitting overnight or for days at a time. Always ask yourself if there is something more that you could be doing to protect yourself.

Still not satisfied? Not to toot our own horn, but Mail Boss is one of the most trusted mailboxes on the market for mail theft prevention!