HOUSTON – The U.S. Postal Service said master keys are often sought by criminals to steal mail and commit other financial crimes.
This is exactly what happened to several woman in an Upper Kirby neighborhood.
“It’s extreme frustration that somebody was able to do this to us,” said one of the woman.
The woman doesn’t want to be identified but said she and her neighbors are fed up. They first noticed their mail disappearing in August.
“I had an issue with a credit card being charged on that I wasn’t using. Then I closed it. It got reopen. It was just like when the neighbors, we started talking about stuff everybody was like, ‘wait a minute this is happening,” the woman said.
Then, they started checking their Ring doorbell cameras and saw a woman, who doesn’t even live in the small community, making several visits.
Only this week, after installing a surveillance camera directly in front of the box, did they realize that she and a man were stealing their mail. KPRC 2 isn’t showing their face because they haven’t yet been identified as suspects by police.
“She had access to my account. That night I closed my account with this company. I got a letter in the mail weeks later, it’s closed. I come home the other day, Monday, that some company I now have a charge for $4,400. Four different visits, two per day. And it’s the same store,” the woman said.
Houston Police is investigating two packages the thieves swiped the same night.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the USPS Police, are investigating the mailbox cluster theft.
“They didn’t even care. Came in, I mean, my neighbors we were all home while they did this and none of us knew. It took them maybe three minutes,” the woman said.
STATEMENT FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE:
The USPIS is aware of reports of mail theft from residences [in the Upper Kirby area] Inspectors are working with the residents and are actively coordinating this investigation with our local law enforcement partners. As it is an active, on-going investigation, the USPIS cannot provide additional information.
Inspectors remind customers if their mail has been stolen, they should report it directly to the Postal Inspection Service by calling our hotline at 877-876-2455 or going to our website www.uspis.gov/report. When mail theft is not reported, the thief gets away with their crime. Additionally, customers are reminded to provide any information, including video images, to postal inspectors, even after they have initially reported the crime.
Every day, the US Postal Service safely delivers mail to more than 150 million addresses; mail that includes checks, money orders, credit cards and merchandise. While the U.S. Mail remains one of the most secure means to transmit such items, unfortunately, these items are also attractive to thieves.
Every mailbox, from a neighborhood mailbox to a blue USPS collection box, has strong security measures in place to protect the contents. The USPIS and the USPS continue to review and improve and enhance the security of all mailboxes. However, thieves will use a variety of methods and tools to attempt to bypass these security measures. Mail theft most often occurs in the over-night hours when there are fewer people around to witness it.
While mail theft does occur, there are steps postal customers can take to minimize becoming a victim. Do not let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox. Postal inspectors recommend checking your mailbox every day and removing your mail as promptly as possible. Customers can hand outgoing mail directly to your letter carrier or deposit it inside your local post office.
Mail theft is an opportunistic crime. The longer your mail sits in any mailbox, the more susceptible it is to theft.
Mail theft is a federal offense, punishable by up to five years in federal prison. Mail theft is also a state offense in Texas and can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the amount of mail stolen.
For more information about mail theft prevention, please visit our website, www.USPIS.gov.