Mail Identity Theft
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States for the past 10 years, and affects over 10 million Americans each year.
Mail theft is a common way that identity thieves can steal your identity, and the 60 million unlocked mailboxes in the US offer a treasure trove of opportunity for would-be identity thieves.
Victims of mail theft often do not realize they have been victimized until their credit record and good name is ruined. Remedying the outcomes of fraud and identity theft requires thousands of dollars and hours of your time.
This section provides information about the prevalence of mail and identity theft, and the precautions you can take to protect yourself and your name.
Mail Identity Theft
- More than 1 in 20 Americans are victims of ID theft each year
- ID theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation
- Only 35% of ID theft victims know how their info was compromised
- The majority of known ID theft is perpetuated via low-tech methods: stolen wallets, stolen mail and stolen trash.
- Mail theft is highly under-reported because most people don’t realize when their mail has been stolen
February 2013 – Mail Identity Theft
Feb. 1: Ozark, MISSOURI: KY3 – Mail stolen, bank accounts drained for Ozark MO couple Calhoun County, MICHIGAN: BattleCreekEnquirer.com – More than 100 victims reported in Calhoun identity theft spree Des Moines, IOWA: The Des Moines Register – Warrants issued in mail theft case: 14 suspects are allegedly involved in stealing $100,000. Daly City, CALIFORNIA: The Daly Journal – One…
Mail Identity Theft – March 2013
Mar. 7: Greenville, SOUTH CAROLINA: Anderson Independent Mail – Upstate mail thief sentenced to one year in prison Simpsonville, SOUTH CAROLINA: Simpsonville Patch – Mail Thief Sentenced to a Year in Prison: Harlan Lanning stole people’s mail to steal identities, pass counterfeit checks, US Attorney says. Santa Rosa, CALIFORNIA: Santa Rosa – Santa Rosa man suspected of mail theft Pacifica,…
Mail Boss Withstands Neighborhood Mailbox Burglar
Residential locking mailboxes in Olympia neighborhood picked open by thief, but Mail Boss not compromised We just received an email from Luke in Olympia, who wrote us to say that all his neighbors’ locking mailboxes were picked open, but his Mail Boss remained secure. This is our favorite kind of customer feedback, because it means our products are delivering on…
Mail Identity Theft – May 2013
May 1: Bloomfield Township, MICHIGAN: Detroit Free Press – Police warn Bloomfield Township residents not to put checks in home mailboxes after thefts Bloomfield Township, MICHIGAN: ClickOnDetroit.com – Police warn residents about mail thief in Bloomfield Township: Bloomfield Township police are warning residents about recent mail thefts Birmingham, ALABAMA: LoanSafe.org – Birmingham Resident Admits Role in Multi-State Identity Theft and…
Mail Identity Theft: June 2013
June 1: Missoula, MONTANA: NBC Montana –Missoula authorities still on search for mail, check thief June 3: South Jordan, UTAH: KSL.com – Thieves targeting mailboxes in South Jordan South Jordan, UTAH: Fox13Now.com – Mail theft cases increasing in South Jordan Bloomfield Township, MICHIGAN: Bloomfield Patch – Another Rash of Mail Thefts Over the Weekend in Bloomfield Township: The department issued the…
Mail Identity Theft – July 2013
July 3: Pocatello, IDAHO: Idaho State Journal – PPD: Mail is being stolen from mailboxes Charles County, MARYLAND: WUSA9 – Charles County mailbox thefts Charles County, MARYLAND: SMNewsNet.com – Crime Solvers Seeks Information on Thefts from Mailboxes July 5: Kahaluu, HAWAII: KHON2 – Thieves target mailboxes in Kahaluu neighborhood Pocatello, IDAHO: East Idaho News – Mail being stolen in Pocatello July…
Mail Identity Theft – August 2013
Here is a round up of the mail-identity theft news stories from across the US in August 2013. Aug. 1: Martinez, CALIFORNIA: Martinez Patch – POLICE LOG: Protect Yourself From Mail Theft Sacramento, CALIFORNIA: Sacto 9-1-1 – Sacramento brothers sentenced for bank fraud, ID theft Aug. 2: Albuquerque, NEW MEXICO: KOB.com – Surveillence cameras catch mail thief in action Paradise…
Mail-Identity Theft: September 2013
An early morning search of a dilapidated Panorama City home that police and residents say had become a hangout for methamphetamine users led to three arrests after investigators discovered stolen mail, evidence of identity theft and what officers say was one of the largest rocks of meth any of them had ever seen.
Mail Identity Theft – October 2013
Oct. 2: VENTURA COUNTY, California: Ventura County Star – Camarillo police arrest two, including one in connection with mail theft and forgery SAN ANTONIO, Texas: MySanAntonio.com – Yuchnitz son’s wife guilty of stealing mail NORMAN, Oklahoma: News9.com – Man Arrested, Accused Of Operating Mail Fraud, Identity Theft Ring Oct. 3: MOORE, Oklahoma: News9.com – Moore Hero The Victim Of Identity Theft Oct. 4: CAMARILLO, California: The Camarillo Acorn…
“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,…
