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
Another Typical Mail Identity Theft Story
May 29, 2015

Here is another typical mail identity theft story out of Phenix City Alabama featuring a pair of career criminals with the common elements of stolen mail, compromised identities, and drugs. Lovely. Mail identity theft is among the fastest growing crimes in the nation, but is easily prevented with a security locking mailbox and a little common sense. Once your incoming…

Credit Card Fraud Or Identity Theft?
March 10, 2015

With thieves being so creative with their tactics, it is difficult to figure out what is identity theft and what is mere fraud. For instance, if someone takes your credit card, there are several ways they can use your number to hurt you. However, identity theft may not be one of them. Here’s the difference between the two: Identity Theft…

FTC Reports ID Theft Up (Again) in 2011
March 10, 2015

ID Theft to collect government benefits up 11% According to the FTC, for the 12th year in a row, Identity Theft was the number one consumer complaint in 2011. This follows trends reported by Javelin Strategy in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Since 2001, the number of identity theft complaints has risen every year except one. In 2011, a 27% majority…

10 Ways Thieves Steal Your Credit Card
March 10, 2015

The most common ways thieves steal your credit card or financial info for credit card fraud or identity fraud & easy ways to protect against these threats.

Cascade Pest Locking Mailboxes Burglarized
March 9, 2015

(Pro-tip: There’s a solution for that!) One of our vendors sent us a letter stating that payments may have been stolen from the mail. While many people have moved away from uses checks to pay bills, most businesses still send and receive payments by mail. Locking mailboxes can prevent checks from being stolen from the mail, but not all locking…

Prevent ID Theft in 7 Easy Steps
March 7, 2015

Check out this helpful video from HowCast, which offers Personal Security and Self Defense videos here. It highlights 7 Easy Steps to Prevent ID Theft: The most important steps to take to prevent identity theft include:

A Blogger’s Take on Mail-Identity Theft
March 7, 2015

This blog post by SusanHi is one of the most comprehensive discussion of mail-identity theft and preventative measures you should take that we have seen online… almost anywhere! We should have shared it years ago, when it was first published. But, better late then never. She was inspired to share her story and insights after a neighbor returned several days worth…

Yes, Your Mail Matters to ID Thieves
March 7, 2015

Stolen mail a leading cause of Identity Theft, despite popular belief As a company that manufactures and sells locking mailboxes, clearly we have a vested interest in people believing there is a need for a secure mailbox product. More importantly, we truly believe this need is real. (After all, we developed the Mail Boss line only after company mail was…

Five Ways to Protect Your Security When Buying Consumer Products
March 6, 2015

As summer approaches, millions of consumers will be emerging from their winter ways and many will be engaging in leisure activities they longed for during the winter. Of course, they’ll be spending money along the way, purchasing new summer attire, eating out, and traveling. At the same time, countless unsavory characters will be searching for opportunities to take advantage of…

Mail Theft Monday – 4/19/10
March 3, 2015

Perhaps we should just start calling this post “Mail Theft Tuesday”? In our defense, it’s trade show season, which makes it difficult to stay on top of this sort of thing. Just in the past month, we’ve been to Chicago, New Orleans and Minneapolis getting dealers on board with the Mail Boss. We have some exciting stuff in the works,…