Postal Safety

Mail theft is up 66% percent in Washington State in 1998.  On January 25, 1998 Seattle Police arrested a man in the central area with two garbage bags full of stolen mail and
found postal keys in his home. These recent events only highlight the need for taking a couple extra precautionary measures when dealing with important mail.  We all hope that the thieves will steal our junk mail but we never want them intercepting credit cards,
checks and other important documents.

The first way to protect yourself is NEVER mail cash to pay for anything,
send a money order or deliver the cash in person.

Make arrangements to have your checks deposited directly in your bank account instead of mailed to your home.  Most major companies and government agencies mail checks on
a set schedule and most mail theft is scheduled to intercept these checks. 
Direct deposit deprives thieves of this opportunity to make you a victim.

Don't mail important mail from your home mailbox and even avoid blue, curbside boxes.  Take your important mail inside the Post Office and mail it inside the post office.  Many high-rise and municipal buildings offer mail shoots that collect the entire building's mail
in a common bin available only to postal employees.

Make sure your home mailbox is either locked securely or in a highly visible place where
neighbors will notice if anyone tampers with or takes it.

When you receive offers for credit cards, loans, or other valuable goods or services,
don't simply recycle them, shred or at least rip them up first.

Keep a calendar of when important bills and valuable mail arrive each month.  If mail is delayed more than a day or two, contact the sender to make sure it was mailed on time.

Please mail any suggested links or other info