It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for mail theft. The seasonal increase of mail encourages fraudsters to steal letters looking for some quick cash or personal and financial information they can use to create fraud opportunities.
With the recent rise in check fraud, it really pays to be careful about how you send and receive your mail. We recommend following these tips to keep your mail safe all year long:
- Use the letter slots inside your post office or hand it to a letter carrier.
- Pick up your mail after delivery – do not leave items in the mailbox overnight.
- If you use a curbside mailbox, drop off your mail close to the pickup time and do not put mail in the box after the last pickup time.
- Request signature confirmation for the recipient.
- If you are expecting and did not receive a check or other valuable mail, contact the issuing party immediately.
- When mailing checks, fill them out with gel ink that cannot be erased or “washed” like ink from a standard ballpoint pen – this can prevent your checks from being altered if stolen.
- If you change your address, immediately notify your post office and anyone you do business with.
- Tell your local post office when you will be out of town so they can hold your mail.
- Do not send cash and use caution when mailing gift cards and gift certificates.
If your mail goes missing and you suspect theft, report your concerns to www.uspis.gov/report and your local police department.
If you are a Merrimack customer and are concerned your personal or financial information was compromised, please call us directly at 603.225.2793.