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
Mail Theft in West Seattle, WA
West Seattle Blog publishes Mail-Theft Alert The West Seattle Blog is a weblog for the community of West Seattle Washington, and includes valuable resources and information on events, traffic, and crime, among other topics. Recently, the WSB published a post on mail theft that caught my attention. The editors at WSB reprinted an e-mail from a concerned resident who had…
Mail Theft in Sherman Oaks, CA
Even Hollywood Hills not immune to mail identity thieves LAist, “a website about Los Angeles,” recently published a report of “Mail Theft in the Hills” warning residents to lock their mailboxes. Watch those mailboxes, people are stealing. Reported by a representative of City Councilman Jack Weiss last night at a Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council meeting, homes in the hills of Sherman…
(Our Thoughts on) Mail Theft in Hermitage, PA
Channel 11 News reports mail theft on the rise, police warn homeowners to take precautions In Hermitage, a suburb of Pittsburgh, police have received multiple complaints from five different neighborhoods of mail stolen from unlocked mailboxes, and have apprehended no suspects. According to this report by Channel 11 news, its happening so frequently that local police are warning people to…
Mail Theft in Arlington, WA
KING 5 Reports, “‘Tis the season for mail theft” In early December, KING 5 news ran a story warning this is one of the busiest times of the year for mail thieves. The story is reprinted below: ARLINGTON, Washington – With two weeks left to mail out Christmas cards and packages, this is one of the busiest times of the…
Mail ID Thief Sentenced, Lessons to Be Learned
Seattle PI reports identity thief stole victims’ mail; provide identity theft prevention tips On Saturday, January 24, 2009, the Seattle Post Intelligencer ran the story, “Identity thief gets 10-year sentence for stealing $200K,” originally reported here and reprinted below. This is another serious case of mail identity theft close to home, and while we are not surprised this continues to…
Paper Shredder: A Dumpster Diver’s Bad Dream!
One common way thieves perpetuate identity theft is by stealing your personal information through dumpster diving, or sorting through your trash. Just what are they looking for? Anything with your personal information, including credit card statements, electricity bills, and so on. One simple thing you can do to protect yourself from dumpster diving identity thieves is to shred sensitive information…
Mail Thief Nabbed in Milford, CT
Targeted neighbors’ unlocked mailboxes; charged with 18 counts of Aggravated Identity Theft The Newhaven Register recently reported that a local man was arrested for running a serious identity theft operation targeting the neighborhood’s non locking mailboxes in Milford Connecticut. The story, originally published here, is included below as one more example of mail identity theft that plagues American households nationwide,…
Mail Theft in Yakima, WA
KIMA News reports rash of mail thefts in Wapato and surrounding areas Homeowners are feeling victimized as mail thieves are on the prowl. In the past weeks, unsuspecting residents are going to their mailbox to find their newspapers and junk mail strewn about, but their unlocked mailboxes void of sensitive account information and credit card statements. Now, they must spend…
Mail Theft in Peachtree City, GA
On December 12, 2008, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported widespread mail theft in 2 Peachtree City subdivisions. The story, included below for your reference, underscores the need for consumers to protect their sensitive information with a secure locking mailbox. In addition, people should always use a secure post office box to drop off outgoing mail. Peachtree City police are investigating widespread…
“ID Theft Soaring as Woes Worsen” in Utah
Deseret News advocates caution and prevention Sunday, March 15, 2009 — The Deseret News of Salt Lake City, Utah published this story. The main points of the article (included in full below) are: Paperwork (specifically mail) makes you vulnerable to identity theft 16% increase in identity theft cases in Utah since September 2008 (FTC) Identity theft will increase in these…
