Mail theft is a huge problem, both in the Houston area and across the country.
Thieves bust into cluster mailboxes or blue collection boxes to take what they want. Or, they target postal carriers and steal mail keys. The U.S. Postal Service is working to step up security measures in Houston and across the country to help protect your mail.
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Checks stolen, washed, and cashed
From identity theft to check washing, the mail theft problem is troubling. A months-long KPRC 2 Investigation uncovered an enterprise where organized thieves are selling stolen checks and mailbox keys for thousands of dollars online.
KPRC2 Investigates has introduced you to victims who have had checks stolen out of mailboxes. The checks were then washed, rewritten, made out to strangers, and cashed for thousands more.
Stolen mail keys make cluster mailboxes an easy target
Investigator Amy Davis is also following issues people are having with mail theft in the Katy area.
You may remember, the mail theft was so bad at the Provincial Professional Park in Katy that business owners spent thousands of dollars of their own money to catch the thieves on camera... and they did.
Back in July, a postal inspector was sent to Houston from New York to crack down on the mail theft problem. They set up a sting and arrested the repeat thieves caught on camera.
Then, the postal inspection service let them go. Then, the owner of the camera called Amy back in October to say the thefts were happening again.
When business owners sent this video to the postal inspector assigned to investigate mail theft in July, they say he replied, “Report it to your local police.”
“The postal system has been exposed as an easy target. So, criminals exploit easy targets. And right now, that’s the postal service. So, who suffers? It’s the customers, postal customers,” said Frank Albergo, U.S. Postal Police Officer’s Union President.
Vandalism has also played a part in the destruction of cluster mailboxes in one Kingwood neighborhood. They’ve been waiting for months to get new, secure boxes.
Mail carriers also victims of attacks and thefts
Back in October, local mail carriers teamed up to ask for more protections after an uptick of violent attacks against them in the Houston area this year. More than 25 assaults or robberies have happened since January, usually with a gun, according to leaders with the National Association of Letter Carriers.
“Today seems to be open season on letter carriers,” National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 283 President Willie Ferguson said at a rally Wednesday night.
It’s a trend in Houston and cities across the country, according to union leaders, that they believe was born out of the pandemic. The U.S. Postal Service said master keys are often sought by criminals to steal mail and commit other financial crimes.
USPS takes steps to fight mail theft
The USPS is in the process of cracking down on mail theft after launching new crime prevention measures earlier this year. ‘Project Safe Delivery’ is a national effort that started in May. USPS just released an update on the progress.
- 12,000 high-security blue collection Boxes are being installed nationwide. The Postal Service is hardening blue collection boxes making access to the contents more difficult for criminals. These boxes are being deployed in high-security risk areas, including Houston. The Postal Service says they will continue to evaluate replacing additional existing blue collection boxes with these enhanced boxes.
- Reducing Letter Carrier Robberies and Mail Theft. As part of Project Safe Delivery, USPS and USPIS are taking action to harden physical targets against criminal activity and reduce criminal acts against postal employees including:
- 49,000 Electronic Locks to Replace Antiquated Arrow Locks. Robberies often target letter carriers for their Arrow and Modified Arrow Lock (MAL) Keys. Criminals use Arrow and MAL keys to steal mail from secure mail receptacles to commit financial crimes, including altering checks to commit check fraud. To make Arrow Keys less valuable for criminals, the Postal Service is replacing 49,000 antiquated arrow locks with electronic locks. New locks are being installed in Houston and other select cities. So far, 6,500 antiquated arrow locks have been replaced nationwide.
The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service say they are also increasing Arrow Key accountability reviews in select high Postal crime areas. Since Project Safe Delivery launched, USPS says they are already seeing success.
Reduced fraudulent change-of-address submissions by 99.3 percent. Across the globe, identity theft is on the rise, driven by a financial motive. To combat the rise in fraudulent submissions, USPS has strengthened authentication processes for all methods of change-of-address submissions, electronic and hard copy submitted in person or through the mail stream.
Reduced counterfeit package postage by 50 percent. USPS has developed a sophisticated system to identify, intercept and retain counterfeit or hijacked labels on packages, using artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analysis.
“We have effectively focused our efforts with USPS on hardening both physical and digital targets to combat threats to postal employees and secure the mail,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. “We continue to turn up the pressure and put potential perpetrators on notice: If you attack postal employees, steal the mail or commit other postal crimes, postal inspectors will bring you to justice.”
What to do if you suspect you are a victim of mail theft
If you suspect you have been a victim of mail theft, there is a list of agencies you need to report it to.
- Contact USPS. The USPS says losses are charted by the Postal Inspection Service to identify problem areas and assist Inspectors in tracking down thieves. Report suspected mail losses to Postal Inspectors by calling 877-876-2455 or at www.uspis.gov.
- Let law enforcement know. You should also contact the police department in your city and file a police report and you could also contact the District Attorney’s office.
- Alert financial institutions. Depending on what you think was stolen, you should alert your bank and credit reports about the theft.
RELATED: Investigator Amy Davis explains ways to protect your mail