Usps master key stolen3/29/2024 ![]() For instance, a rash of thefts from blue collection boxes in Milwaukee led to the break up last month of a criminal ring. The rise in crime targeting postal carriers and mailboxes heightens the risk that mailed checks could be stolen, as has been documented in incidents across the nation. ![]() At the same time, fraudsters are targeting mailboxes, either stealing letters directly from residents' homes or from the blue USPS collection boxes, the postal service said. The USPS last month cautioned that it has seen an increase in attacks on letter carriers and mail fraud incidents, with 305 mail carriers robbed in the first half of fiscal year 2023, on pace to exceed the previous year's 412 robberies. Postal Service has some experts warning Americans against sending their checks through the mail. Postal Service sends warning to not send checks through the mail 02:55Ī surge in crimes targeting the U.S. Ĭopyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.U.S. Mail theft is also a state offense in Texas and can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the amount of mail stolen.įor more information about mail theft prevention, please visit our website. Mail theft is a federal offense, punishable by up to five years in federal prison. The longer your mail sits in any mailbox, the more susceptible it is to theft. Customers can hand outgoing mail directly to your letter carrier or deposit it inside your local post office. Postal inspectors recommend checking your mailbox every day and removing your mail as promptly as possible. Do not let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox. While mail theft does occur, there are steps postal customers can take to minimize becoming a victim. Mail theft most often occurs in the over-night hours when there are fewer people around to witness it. However, thieves will use a variety of methods and tools to attempt to bypass these security measures. The USPIS and the USPS continue to review and improve and enhance the security of all mailboxes. Mail remains one of the most secure means to transmit such items, unfortunately, these items are also attractive to thieves.Įvery mailbox, from a neighborhood mailbox to a blue USPS collection box, has strong security measures in place to protect the contents. Additionally, customers are reminded to provide any information, including video images, to postal inspectors, even after they have initially reported the crime.Įvery day, the US Postal Service safely delivers mail to more than 150 million addresses mail that includes checks, money orders, credit cards and merchandise. Inspectors remind customers if their mail has been stolen, they should report it directly to the Postal Inspection Service by calling our hotline at 87 or going to our website When mail theft is not reported, the thief gets away with their crime. As it is an active, on-going investigation, the USPIS cannot provide additional information. ![]() The USPIS is aware of reports of mail theft from residences Inspectors are working with the residents and are actively coordinating this investigation with our local law enforcement partners. STATEMENT FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE: It took them maybe three minutes,” the woman said. Came in, I mean, my neighbors we were all home while they did this and none of us knew. The United States Postal Inspection Service, the USPS Police, are investigating the mailbox cluster theft. Houston Police is investigating two packages the thieves swiped the same night. And it’s the same store,” the woman said. I come home the other day, Monday, that some company I now have a charge for $4,400. I got a letter in the mail weeks later, it’s closed. That night I closed my account with this company. KPRC 2 isn’t showing their face because they haven’t yet been identified as suspects by police. Only this week, after installing a surveillance camera directly in front of the box, did they realize that she and a man were stealing their mail. Then, they started checking their Ring doorbell cameras and saw a woman, who doesn’t even live in the small community, making several visits. It was just like when the neighbors, we started talking about stuff everybody was like, ‘wait a minute this is happening,” the woman said. “I had an issue with a credit card being charged on that I wasn’t using. They first noticed their mail disappearing in August. The woman doesn’t want to be identified but said she and her neighbors are fed up. “It’s extreme frustration that somebody was able to do this to us,” said one of the woman. This is exactly what happened to several woman in an Upper Kirby neighborhood. Postal Service said master keys are often sought by criminals to steal mail and commit other financial crimes.
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