Uptick in mail theft, fraud has police in one local town asking people to not use blue mailboxes

WELLESLEY, Mass. — Mail theft has been on the rise this holiday season, and now one local town is seeing a big uptick in mail theft and check fraud.

For those of you who still need to drop off those Christmas cards or even just pay the bills, instead of dropping it off in a blue mailbox, the Wellesley Police Department is advising people to take their mail directly to the post office.

Fishing for mail in mailboxes is nothing new, and Wellesley and other communities have replaced or retrofitted mailboxes to address that very issue. But now recent investigations show mail thieves have somehow gotten the keys to the blue mailboxes. Once they have access, they take out the gift cards, cash and even checks.

“It’s usually overnight, but at times we’ve seen them during the day, using a key to access the mailboxes,” Glen Misho, of the Wellesley Police Department, said. “They’re specifically looking for checks, especially around the holidays, you’re mailing cash, you’re mailing checks, they’re forging the checks, they’re washing the checks, and they’re selling them online illegally and changing the amount and unfortunately affecting our residents.”

If you’re worried about something you want to mail being stolen, here are a few tips:

• If you can’t make it to the post office and have to use the blue mailbox, check the time of collection. That way you know your mail is not sitting in the box overnight.
• You can also put your letters in the mailboxes inside your post office where there are postal employees watching it.
• Make sure to report any suspicious activity or glue or tape on a mailbox to the post office.
• Even if you give your mail to your local carrier, sometimes they drop off that mail in the blue boxes.

Police also say if you mail a personal check and thieves get their hands on it, they have instant access to your routing and account number. So, it’s best to avoid mailing a check if you can.

According to the United States Postal Inspector, U.S. mail remains one of the most secure means of transmitting personal information, but unfortunately, items such as checks, money orders, and credit cards can attract thieves as well.

“Postal Inspectors across the country, and here in Boston, are at work to protect our customer’s mail,” says Postal Inspector Steve Doherty.

The Wellesley Police Department is working with other law enforcement agencies, and the incidents of mail theft and check fraud remain under investigation.

You can report mail theft, identity theft, fraud or other crimes involving the U.S. Mail by calling our national hotline at 877-876-2455.

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