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Tips on Thwarting Mailbox Thieves

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899

In today’s world many are experiencing their community or individual mail boxes are being broken into. It’s an escalating problem and confirmed by the postal inspector.

Mail thieves are looking for pre-activated credit cards some credit card companies are now mailing out. There are things we can do to protect ourselves from stolen mail which can make mail theft less attractive to thieves:

Take your mail out of your mailbox each day. Many of these mail thefts occur at night, so the less mail in the mailbox the better.

Register for “Informed delivery.” Did you know this is a free service from USPS? They will email every morning the images of the envelopes you’ll be receiving, before they are put in your mailbox. If you find you have a day when you don’t get any mail in your mailbox, you can check your email to see if any mail is missing or you just didn’t get any mail that day. If mail is stolen you’ll have an image of the envelope and know what was stolen.

If you are going to be of town let USPS know to hold your mail at the post office and deliver to your home upon your return or pick it up. This way no mail is available in your mailbox for thieves to steal!

If you have an individual mailbox (not a community cluster type box), than consider getting a locking mailbox.

Mail thieves are out there but these tips can help you thwart their attempts at stealing your mail. Be observant and take measures to ensure YOU receive your mail.

 

 

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ReloAustin.com
Austin Real Estate Website

CanyonCreekNews.com
Canyon Creek Neighborhood

I specialize in Listing and Selling homes in the NW Austin Area. I use my experience to guide clients through the process, whether selling or buying. It’s a beautiful thing when your career and a passion come together. I love what I do!

 

Joe Jackson
Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty - Columbus, OH
Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

Feb 02, 2021 05:41 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I wish informed delivery was available to me, it's not.  It's really irritating.

Feb 05, 2021 12:23 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

These are good tips. I signed up for informed delivery quite a while ago (years). 

Feb 06, 2021 06:20 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Hi Dorie Dillard Austin TX - I am glad that Carol Williams highlighed this.  I have signed up for informed mail about 6 months ago for my Armonk address.

Feb 06, 2021 08:18 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Feb 06, 2021 06:05 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Glad that Kathy Streib featured your post so many of us could read it. Thanks, Dorie Dillard Austin TX 

Feb 06, 2021 06:13 PM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Dorie. Luckily, I live in a hirise building where the mailboxes are secured and monitored. Now I know about "informed mail"! Thanks. Enjoy your day!

Feb 07, 2021 05:12 AM
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

Good morning, Dorie Dillard Austin TX  we're in the country and it's not a common occurrence for mailboxes to be vandalized or robbed....  

Feb 07, 2021 05:14 AM
Greg Brown, Sales Rep Toronto, Durham region
Sutton Group Heritage Reallty Inc., Brokerage - Whitby, ON
www.GregBrown.Realtor

Good tips, thank you..

Feb 07, 2021 05:48 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Dorie,

I am glad that Dorie Dillard Austin TX featured this,  I had missed it.  We are a small community of 14,000.  We are pretty much boring with lots of avocado ranches and greehouses full of veggies and flowers.  A

Feb 07, 2021 10:02 AM
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Dorie Dillard Austin TX  Have a locking mailbox but USPS is so slow here. Sometimes it takes a month to get mail including bills from local utility companies 

Feb 07, 2021 01:23 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Stopping mailbox thievery can be quite the Technical artform that way. Nice work

Feb 07, 2021 04:27 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

The Postal Service is slow everywhere right now. That’s nothing new for this year unfortunately. Hannah Williams @dorie

Feb 07, 2021 04:47 PM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

It's sad that this is such a real problem. It helps also when neighbors start going back to the good, old-fashioned neighborhood watch.

Feb 08, 2021 09:01 AM
Vickie Teel
RE/MAX PALM REALTY - Port Charlotte, FL
Sharing Florida sunshine one homeowner at a time!

WOW Dorie Dillard Austin TX thanks so much for this good information.  I'm definitely going to look into informed delivery.  Thank you Kathy Streib for including this post in your weekly "This Week at ActiveRain" post as I missed it when it was originally posted.

Feb 09, 2021 05:31 AM
CANDACE (Candy) STEVENS, EA
Number Cruncher LLC - Overton, NV
Helping Taxpayers Resolve IRS problems

Thank you for the information.  I am going to try out informed delivery.

Feb 09, 2021 11:24 AM
Kimo Jarrett
Cyber Properties - Huntington Beach, CA
Pro Lifestyle Solutions

I enrolled with Informed Delivery immediately, an amazing tool to see your mail before it arrives. I also want to caution using the regular post office drop off mail boxes seen on sidewalks in many towns. Thieves will either spray or place a sticky substance near the end of the drop chute that prevents your mail from dropping into the mail box. After you leave, thieves simply open up the door and steal your mail. After one incident, I never use this method to mail checks in envelopes. If you must use it, look into the chute to ensure your envelope dropped into the mail box. Thanks for sharing the information.

Feb 10, 2021 10:06 PM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

We signed up for Informed Delivery--what a great feature!  I know that mail delays are so very common, and we regularly get mail intended for another address.  It's a tough job, especially during these cold winter months.

Feb 11, 2021 08:10 AM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

We love the informed delivery feature from our PO! Since we have to drive 15 minutes to get our mail, it’s nice to know if there’s something worth picking up or not.

Feb 11, 2021 01:56 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Thank you Carol Williams for featuring my post..we are now bracing for another storm late this afternoon and into tonight! I'm so ready for my nice warm daty, sun and blue skies. They say by Saturday ..I sure hope so!!

Feb 17, 2021 01:50 PM