Story & Photos – Joseph Boyle
“A picture is said to be worth 10,000 words.” My picture is worth “four words”, “Mail and identity theft”. Once you are a victim of mail theft, you can expect the second shoe to drop and that is called I.D. Theft. Following that is credit fraud, which can put a black mark on your good credit.
My first photo (above) shows the typical soft target mailboxes, which are a sure set up marking the owners as easy prey.
I did not stage this photo. I came across the mailbox cluster and knew there was something wrong. The mailman closes each box as he or she makes their rounds. The thief does not care, so they often leave the boxes open after stealing your mail.
Almost every time I listen to my police radio, I hear 911 dispatching for a mail theft in progress. The thieves steal your checks, bankcards, documents, money, greeting cards, bank statements, bills and identity.
If a mail thief victimizes you, your credit rating may suffer too. Most victims spend lots of money and time trying sort out the problems caused by this common criminal enterprise. It is maddening.
Think about it. You would never put your red mailbox flag up on a mailbox stuffed with cash. When the mailman sees the red flag he knows there is something in your box. When the criminal sees the red flag, he knows there is something in your box. Your mail gets picked up either way. It is what happens next that is a serious issue. Sometimes your mail is like cash.
A great solution to consider is to visit Donn or Skip Tyler at Lakewood Hardware & Paint, Inc. located at 9020 Lakewood Drive SW, Lakewood, Washington. Their phone number is 253-581-1010.
They have a display of secure mailboxes for you to choose from.
While there are cheaper options that pretend to be secure, remember, you get what you pay for. The Mail Boss uses a welded construction process as opposed to a riveted construction process. Welded construction makes your mailbox extremely resistant to thieves. Lakewood Hardware has two models of the Mail Boss Mailbox on display.
My neighbors and friends have installed 18 secure mailboxes so far. If you tell Donn or Skip that Joe Boyle sent you, they will give you the “Joe Boyle” multi-mailbox discounted price for your new Mail Boss Secure mailbox.
Be safe!
Thank you, Joseph, for another not-so-subtle plug another of your favorite businesses.
Thank you, Joe! Plug or not, this is great information to get in front of the public. I put up a sturdy locking box at home a year ago, before I could become a victim. I recommend everyone do the same – do it now, before you are turned into another crime statistic. They’re not cheap, but how much is your time, your good credit, your good name, and your peace of mind worth? Do it. Do it today. Shop where you will, but get a secure mailbox now.
So true – mail theft is happening everywhere and it’s not going away anytime soon. A locking mailbox is a necessity in the world today, but most locking mailboxes can be easily violated. At Mail Boss we have designed our boxes with security in mind. Our mailboxes are exceedingly difficult to pry open and thieves will simply move on to an easier target.