Recently in Montgomery County (especially Towamencin Township), there have been numerous thefts of mail from homeowner’s mailboxes. Both outgoing mail for pickup by the mailman and delivered mail is being taken.
The thieves are looking for checks, routing numbers, account numbers, signatures, etc. to use that information to steal money directly from bank accounts and for identity theft.
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 400,000 Americans last year had their mail stolen, and subsequently became the victims of identity theft. It is hard to know if your mail has been stolen.
A few thoughts to protect yourself:
› Go paperless and pay online.
› Don’t put outgoing mail in your mailbox.
› Collect your mail every day and have it held at the post office if you are going away.
› Monitor your accounts; know the timing of your bills and check th
at payment is received.
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