Identity Protection and Your Mail
In the physical world, the greatest threat to identity protection is your actual mailbox. The receptacle of utility bills, junk mail, birthday cards, letters from abroad, credit card statements, and great deals from manufacturers and suppliers to whom you are a ‘valued customer’. Well thanks, but that’s leaving me wide open for criminals to steal my mail, my address my personal details and my identity. It’s time for defensive measures. You need to be familiar with the delivery schedule in your area, recognise your regular mail carrier and be aware of the normal mail patterns you expect to receive.
Some sensible measures for identity protection are…
- Never leave mail lying in your mailbox. Whether it is incoming or outgoing, it shouldn’t be abandoned for any length of time. Think how long it might be before outgoing mail is collected. There could be ample time for someone to lift your bill payment while you’re out at work. Instead, keep it with you until you can pop it into the Post Office on the way. Obviously the ‘unattended’ rule applies to incoming mail sitting waiting too.
- Don’t just consider a locking mailbox; purchase one. The peace of mind it brings will be worth the price. They allow Postal carriers to place mail in the box, but only the key holder can open the box to remove it.
- Consider renting a box at the Post Office for secure identity protection. Post Office boxes are the safest way by far for your mail delivery, and the cost to rent a PO Box is very reasonable. If you require 24/7 access to your mail, then consider a private postal service. They’ll provide you with peace of mind and security when you can’t be there to monitor your mail yourself.
- Conduct as many financial transactions as possible electronically. This avoids mail theft or street robbery of your money/credit cards/check book. There are many safeguards in place now since online fraud was recognized as a crime growth area. Passwords, verifications and security measures will protect your funds as well as your identity.
We are in a time of change and until we have adapted, familiarity breeds contempt as far as any old-fashioned practice is concerned. We can no longer just let our mail sit in the mailbox waiting for us to pick it up like we could in the old days, we have to seek out methods for identity protection to prevent identity fraud and theft.
It is true that a significant amount of identity theft originates at the mailbox. Residents do not know what they are ‘expecting’ in the mail and therefore often do not notice when important sensitive documents go missing. The majority of ID theft victims DO NOT KNOW how their information was taken therefore it is safe to assume that many of these people had their information stolen from their unlocked mailbox. With 60 million unlocked mailboxes in the US, homeowners need to start with securing their mailbox to prevent identity theft.
A good locking mailbox is one that cannot be fished by hand or pried open with a screwdriver. Most locking mailboxes are vulnerable to fishing and prying, so when looking for a security mailbox be sure you are getting one that offers real protection against mail identity theft. Some quality options are the Mail Boss as well as the Fort Knox, Secure Logic and Armadillo. Most other locking mailboxes are not truly secure.
In addition to securing your mail with a locking mailbox, residents should never send sensitive mail (i.e. checks) from an unsecured box – instead use online bill pay or bring it directly to the post office. And finally, always shred your mail before discarding it.