Thursday, April 4, 2013

Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft - Starting With Your Mailbox!


We have had a couple of reports come in from people having mail stolen out of their mailbox.  

Protecting your identity through your mailbox is often overlooked when taking steps to protect yourself against identity theft.  

Here are some suggestions:

Do not leave you mail in your mailbox for an extended period of time.
  If you have documents you need to mail - drop them off at a Post Office instead of letting them sit in your mailbox for an extended period of time.  Avoid letting mail pile up in your box for several days or over the weekend.

Use a mailbox that locks.
  Consider investing in a locking mailbox if you want the convenience of putting documents in your mailbox.  Mail can still be placed inside the box but can only be removed with a key.

Rent a Post Office mailbox.
  The safest way to have your mail delivered is to rent a mailbox from a Postal carrier.  Your mail will go directly from the postal workers to your box without the risk of someone else taking it.