Good Lifestyle

Mail flight is an increasing concern. The American Committee for Government Supervisory and Reform reports that theft of letters of letters have increased 845% Between 2019 and 2023. And every year, postal inspectors recover more than a billion dollars of counterfeit checks and mandates. To fight against the problem, the postal service of the United States (USPS) "Sure" mailboxes installed and high safety blue collection boxes in 2023.

Unfortunately, the problem persists. In fact, American representative Friend bera County Sacramento called for a federal working group to resolve mail theft. Last week, he wrote a letter to the Attorney General Bondi and chief postal inspector Gary Barksdale , "To resolve the current flight, crawling and relentless of mail and post keys, as well as widespread vandalism and the destruction of cluster mailboxes (CBU) having an impact on the communities of the Sacramento region."

But that is not limited to California. Last month, the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) launched an investigation In a series of mail flights in the Baltimore region. Yesterday, three people were arrested in Austin, Texas, after Steal From 37 different addresses. And these are far from the only cases.

While elected officials and USP work to sort the dangerous problem, there are simple things that you can do to protect your mail, and in turn, your identity and your finances.

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Mail thieves are often after checks, and their steering wheel method is called "washing".

“The scam washing check involves modifying the names of the beneficiaries and often dollars' amounts on checks and fraudulently depositing them. Sometimes these checks are stolen in mailboxes and washed in chemicals to remove the ink. Some crooks will even use copiers or scanners to print the false copies of a check "," Explain the USPIS .

But believe it or not, using a gel pen instead of a ball pen could help protect the checks you send.

Ryan Moody , Vice-president Director of Payments The management of products in Vericast, said Federal Information Network That the chemicals used to "wash" a check cannot lift the gel ink which has already been absorbed in paper, which makes "very easy to see that the check has been changed".

Oil ink, on the other hand, can be washed from the surface of a check.

Mail thieves tend to work at night when there is less chance that they are caught. Therefore, make sure that your letters are not sitting in the mailbox overnight can considerably reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

"The greatest variable attracting these criminals to fly is customers depositing mail in blue collection boxes after the last collection of the day or during Sundays and federal holidays," USPS said in a previous press release, as Best life reported at the time .

"If customers simply used retail services or interior wall fall locations to send their American mail, instead of placing it outside during the night or throughout the weekend, the blue collection boxes would not be as attractive after opening hours to send flight thieves for identity flight and check-in diets," they added.

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The same logic applies to your personal mailbox. If you have an outgoing letter, do not let it sit in your mailbox until a mail master comes. Instead, put the letter directly or bring it to your local post office.

If you are going to be outside the city, you can organize the post office to keep your mail or ask a neighbor to recover your mail daily.

According to the USPS, " Lit delivery is a free USPS service that shows you images of incoming mail, as well as status updates on your incoming and outgoing packages. »»

Unfortunately, the crooks have found ways to use the service to their advantage. According to Tennessee Local news 3 , the bad players sign people without distrust for an enlightened delivery, then use the overviews to follow and intercept any precious mail.

That said, the service is always a good line of defense against theft of mail. Local 3 News recommends register for an account, where you will have to check your identity. If you notice a suspicious activity or a missing letter, contact USPS immediately.

If the flight of mail is a concern in your neighborhood, remember to install a door camera like the ring. This can help identify all potential thieves. Sometimes the only presence of the camera on your home is sufficient to dissuade them.