Mailbox Theft Prevention Tips

Recently, there have been a series of eye-catching television commercials concerning fraud and identity theft, sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Justice. The Web site for this program is: http://noscamnc.gov/. »

At the conclusion of the ad, there is a voice over that says: "It all started at my mailbox". This statement is indicative to the fact that the majority of cases of identity theft can be traced back to mail theft. Most people, in this high-tech age, assume that computer or internet intrusion is the main cause of identity theft, but in reality this type of fraud is generally low-tech, and can be tied in to good old fashioned mail theft.

Here are some tips from the United States Postal Service to help protect yourself from this crime:

• Use the letter slots at your post office to mail letters, or give them to a letter carrier.
• Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Don’t leave it in your mailbox overnight.
• Don’t send cash in the mail.
• Ask your credit union for “secure” checks that are difficult to alter.
• Tell your post office when you’ll be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.
• Report all mail theft to a Postal Inspector.

Use the following URL to locate the nearest postal inspection office:
http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html » or call 1-800-ASK-USPS.

Reduce the risk of mail interception by paying your bills online. Coastal's online bill pay service (c-Pay) is FREE and easy to use. More info.

We encourage you to visit the website sponsored by the NC Department of Justice. There are sections on how to protect yourself and your business, a victim's toolkit, some helpful links, and some real stories.

If you have any questions or concerns about identity theft or fraud scams, please contact the credit union's Risk Management Department at: (800) 868-4262, extensions 8282, or 8184, or email us at: idhelp@coastalfcu.org.