KATY, Texas – Residents in one Katy-area neighborhood are dealing with thieves of an atypical sort-- mail thieves looking for ways to steal your money and sometimes even your identity.
The crooks have struck several homes near Mason Road and Cimarron.
"I went straight to the bank and told my wife to call the cops," said Wayne Templeton.
He had two envelopes stolen out of his mailbox, inside were two checks written to his bank and cable company. Within hours he said the suspects were trying to use his accounts.
"It was a close call but we got all the accounts closed and they didn't get any money," he said.
They may not have gotten any money, but it was quite an inconvenience Templeton said. He told KPRC Local 2 he's spent the last week and a half dealing with automatic bill pay and withdrawals that now need to be changed.
"It's frustrating and time consuming," he said.
A neighbor two doors down also had an envelope stolen out of her mailbox; she saw the suspects in action.
"I saw a car pull up to my mailbox," said Joann, who asked that her last name not be used.
She said it was a silver sedan that pulled up, the person in the passenger seat reached into her mailbox and seconds later the car drove away.
"A piece of mail that had been in the box was gone," she said.
A Local 2 viewer sent an email that read: "I'm a victim of mailbox theft in West Memorial, Katy. The bank says over 15 incidents were reported in the past two weeks."
The Precinct 5 Constable's Office has been notified and is now investigating.
The Postal Inspector said it's important that individuals report the theft of any correspondence. Postal inspectors offer a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone stealing mail or possessing stolen mail.
You can report mail theft by calling 1-877-876-2455 or by visiting http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov