Two Horry County residents sentenced in federal court for “mailboxin”
SCNow - 11/9/09
(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - “Two Horry County residents were sentenced [...] for stealing checks from mail boxes. [...] Holly Sturkey, 32, of North Myrtle Beach, Brandon Ramon Ledesma, 24, of Gallivants Ferry, and Wayne Michael Scupp, 41, of Pelion, were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to possess stolen mail matter and to commit bank fraud. [...] Sturkey, Ledesma, Scupp, and others stole checks and mail from various mail boxes in the Myrtle Beach area in order to commit bank fraud from July to November 2007. They described this activity as “mailboxin,” and used the stolen checks and personal identification information to open bank accounts, obtain additional checks on the new accounts, and cash them at area merchants, knowing the checks were worthless. [...]”

Checks Stolen From Mail
WOWT - 11/8/09
(OMAHA, NE) - “A Heartland woman is concerned a thief may still have possession of a check she wrote to pay a bill. It was one of two she says was taken from her Brookhaven Park Neighborhood home [...]. [...] According to the police report, the checks were taken from the 59-year-old woman’s mailbox on Wednesday, November 4th. [...]”

Authorities warn of rising fraud risk
The Reno Gazette-Journal - 11/8/09
(RENO, NV) - “Every year, thousands of Reno residents report they were ripped off of their hard-earned cash through some sort of scam or scheme. [...] While the numbers of such reports to Reno police have remained steady - but high - the past five years, the recession could drive up fraud crimes, said Sgt. Scott Dugan, who heads the Reno police financial crimes unit. Five types of fraud crimes rise to the top: check fraud, credit card fraud, identity theft, obtaining money through false pretenses and Internet and mail scams [...]. The consistency of the reports prompted police to encourage education and awareness among residents as a way of prevention.

Dugan suggests people should keep personal information guarded, review yearly copies of their credit reports and secure items like purses, identification cards and checkbooks so crooks can’t steal them. [...] Identity theft - [...] Dugan said thieves use many ploys to get your personal information, such as e-mails, phone and mail solicitations. Mail theft is another factor. [...] Thieves are able to use a Social Security number, date of birth and other information to obtain goods and services. Victims usually have a long road to recover from the damage, including ruined credit scores and inappropriate debt. [...]”

Nine arrested in Jefferson County ID theft ring: Police say drug addiction fueled ID thefts
KDVR - 11/6/09
(DENVER, CO) - “Five men and four women alleged to be in an identity theft and forgery ring operating in Jefferson County have been indicted by a grand jury for racketeering under Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act. [...] The group members are accused of stealing financial and personal identification information by breaking into cars and stealing mail out of mailboxes. Most of the thefts from home mailboxes occurred in Jefferson County between Oct 2008 and Feb 2009. [...] According to the indictment, members of the ID theft ring stole checks and other banking information, Social Security cards, drivers’ licenses, and credit cards. The stolen information would be used to create forged checks and identifications. The forged checks or stolen credit cards would be used to obtain merchandise and cash which they used to pay for their daily living expense and illegal drug use.

[The DA] said, “As we so often see, this ID theft ring appears to have been fueled by the members’ methamphetamine use.” [...]The investigation began in late 2008 as the Arvada Police [Dept] and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office began receiving reports of car break-ins and stolen mail. [...] “These [ID] theft cases are very complicated and often difficult to prosecute,” said Storey. [...]“

I received my Mail Boss Package Master last week. I am a very happy with this well made product. The design was thought through in every aspect. First of all the post for the Mail Boss itself is near indestructible if it is put into cement. Then the quick connect design on the post and the Mail Boss Package Master makes installation a snap.

Every aspect of the Mail Boss Package Master itself was implemented well. The actual metal itself was very heavy duty. All of the joints and hinges were of the highest quality and moved freely as they should.

Although the Mail Boss Package Pro itself is fairly waterproof, the team at Mail Boss even thought things through enough to put drainage holes in the bottom in case someone poured water into the Mail Boss (looking at the thing someone would pretty much have to do it on purpose to get any liquid in there).

As a person who has designed new technologies and products for the last twenty five plus years I always look at the packaging and how the products ships to the customer. The Mail Boss team thought of every little detail. The packaging included a bit for my drill, reflective lettering for the street address for all three sides of the Mail Boss, and mounting screws for the post. They thought of everything! This was one of the best product experiences I have had in a very very long time.

Thanks for making such a great product!

Ron McCabe
Portland, Oregon

The Mail Boss Package Master locking mailboxes are now available online in Black, and will be available in bronze, galaxy, white and granite in less than two weeks! Thanks, everyone, for your patience!

According to WVNS-CBS 59, city police in Beckley, West Virginia have arrested mail thief Amanda McKinney and charged her with forgery in a mail theft scheme. The story, covered here, states that McKinney stole mail from her victims and fraudulently cashed checks she found. Police apparently had a difficult time making an arrest in the case because many of the victims were not aware their identities had been compromised. Sound familiar?

Speaking of familiar, is it just me… or do all of these mail thieves look the same?

photo source

Remember?

• Newcastle CA Mail Identity Theft
• Another Typical Mail Identity Theft Story
• Mail Theft in Idaho - Who Would’ve Thought?

Anyway, we publish a lot of stories on mail thieves, victims of identity theft and more here, but in addition to generating consumer awareness on the prevalence of mail identity theft (read: scaring people), we also like to offer a solution.

So just to remind all of our readers, here is what to do if your mail is stolen (briefly):

1. Issue a fraud alert immediately
2. Report the theft to the USPIS
3. File a complaint with the FTC
4. Don’t be a victim: Secure your mail!

Remember, as noted in the story above, many victims do not realize that their mail has been stolen. So the absolute BEST DEFENSE against mail identity theft is PREVENTION.

In Summary: Get a high quality security locking mailbox to secure your incoming mail (you can buy the Mail Boss from your local Ace Hardware), only use the blue USPS secure mailboxes to send sensitive outgoing mail, and shred all sensitive mail before discarding it. Cover these three bases, and you can seriously reduce your risk of becoming a victim of mail identity theft.

Well that was going fine and dandy, until yesterday, when I decided to set up a new Google News Alert for the term “stolen mail”. I couldn’t believe how many stories were in my inbox this morning!

This made me think. It’s as though the media chooses to report on mail theft as “stolen mail” - an incident, or anecdotal event - rather than “mail identity theft” - a serious and growing crime trend. What do you think? A semantic coincidence, or indicative of something more?

Anywayyy, without further ado, here is just ONE of the MANY news reports of “stolen mail” I found in my inbox this morning, just 12 hours after I set up the new Google News Alert:

Grand jury issues 45 indictments ranging from assault to DWI The Graham Leader - 11/3/09
GRAHAM, TX - [...] April Bishop and John Renteria were indicted on one count of unlawful use of a criminal instrument. The two were arrested in September for allegedly using a tool to remove mail from a public mailbox. [They] had made a tool that slipped into the public blue mailboxes. At the end of the tool, a sticky substance was placed to grab the mail. Bay said the duo were looking for cash or checks that could be whitewashed out and cashed. When a sheriff’s deputy stopped [them], he recovered mail in their vehicle, and open mail was found scattered down the highway. The mail that was located was allegedly stolen from a mailbox in Bryson. [...]

Sorry folks. It’s not going away any time soon. Here’s a roundup of mail theft stories in the past few weeks.

Mail Theft Increases  KXNT Radio - 11/3/09
Las Vegas, NV - Officials say more mail theft is being reported in the area. Reports show residents have been notifying the Postal Service and law enforcement over the increase of mail theft. Officials with the Postal Service say the rise in thefts is most likely due to the economy. Residents are warned to be careful about what packages they leave outside their homes for pickup.

Man arrested in La Cañada check thefts, forgeries La Cañada Valley Sun - 11/2/09
 La Cañada, CA -A Pacoima man was arraigned last week on charges of mail theft and bank fraud for having cashed stolen checks belonging to two La Cañada Flintridge residents [...]. [...] Thurn, who is charged with four counts of bank fraud and two counts of possession of stolen mail, remains in custody without bail. He is a parolee with four felony convictions [...]. [...] On Aug. 3, [sheriffs] followed up on a claim alleging the cashing of a forged check. [...] Thurn’s two listed residences in Pacoima were searched [...]. In his home the detectives found stolen mail, altered checks, a firearm, suspected narcotics and other identity theft paraphernalia.

2 more BHC mail theft suspects plead guilty Mohave Daily News - 10/27/09
Kingman, AZ - Two of eight suspects allegedly involved in stealing mail from Bullhead City mail boxes pleaded guilty Monday in Superior Court. [...] Four other suspects still face charges of mail theft and fraud [...]. [...] Bullhead City police officers arrested Welch, Bowersox and Marcum June 11 at a Krueger Lane home. Police searched the home and allegedly found stolen mail, drug paraphernalia and homemade counterfeit keys used to break into cluster mailboxes in 10 neighborhoods throughout the Bullhead City area, according to the Bullhead City Police Department. [...]

Norman man, 77, sentenced to 24 months for mail theft The Norman Transcript - 10/23/09
Norman, OK - Maurice Hildebrand, 77, of Norman, was sentenced Thursday [...] to serve 24 months in federal prison for theft of U.S. mail, announced [...] Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. [...] From May of 2004 through August of 2008, Hildebrand stole mail containing checks [...] sent by various businesses and individuals that were being placed in the mail to pay bills, make investments, or make charitable contributions. [He] said that he would see the envelopes protruding from mail boxes and would pull the mail out to see if it contained a check. [...] He obtained $34,012 using this scheme. [He] was indicted in May of 2009 and pleaded guilty to 42 counts of mail theft in July of 2009. [...] The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Oklahoma City Economic and Identity Crime Task Force, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. [...]

Fifth person sentenced in Fairbanks mail theft ring Daily News-Miner - 10/22/09
Fairbanks, AK - A fifth person was sentenced Wednesday for his role in a mail theft ring that targeted the outlying areas of Fairbanks. [...]. He received a sentence Wednesday of five years in jail with 18 months suspended. Superior Court Judge [...] also revoked 10 months of suspended time for a 2006 case, which involved mail theft motivated by drugs. “As long as Mr. Freriks has a drug problem, no amount of time will deter him,” MacDonald said. [...] Local law enforcement agencies received more than 700 reports of mail theft or tampering between September and December of 2008. Cases ranged in severity from displaced mail being found at the side of the road to stolen checks and credit cards being used to purchase thousands of dollars worth of items from local businesses. Authorities estimated losses in the range of tens of thousands of dollars. Drugs, specifically methamphetamine, were the main motive for the thefts, they said. Freriks was convicted in 2006 of being a part of a group of 10 loosely organized mail thieves who traded tips about how to steal mail and pass checks. That group, which targeted the Goldstream Valley, North Pole and Chena Hot Springs Road areas beginning the summer of 2005, went on shopping sprees throughout the state, racking up as much as half a million dollars in purchases using stolen cash and forged checks.

Financial crimes against seniors on the rise in Amador Ledger-Dispatch - 10/22/09
Amador, CA - Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan is making crimes against seniors a high priority as rising unemployment and a crippled financial system push desperate individuals to target the elderly. “There was a period last year of tremendous mail theft,” said [the] sheriff’s investigator [...]. “Unlocked mailboxes are a particularly attractive target for criminals. They’re looking for bank and credit card statements, which contain a victim’s account number. They’re also are looking for credit card convenience checks that periodically get sent to cardholders … those also give enterprising criminals the ability to make false identification and counterfeit checks and other official looking documents.” Roberts added that, 10 years ago, check forgery and credit card fraud were the most common financial crimes. He believes law enforcement today are still dealing with those, although they’re also swamped with everything from identity theft to Internet fraud. [...] The Federal Trade Commission recently estimated that 65 percent of identity theft victims don’t report the crime against them to law enforcement. [...]

Woman sentenced on federal mail theft The Rolla Daily News - 10/16/09
St. Louis, MO - Deanna Wisdom was sentenced to five months prison (time served) and five months of home confinement on federal mail theft charges, Acting [US] Attorney Michael W. Reap and Phelps County Sheriff Rick Lisenbe announced today. She was also ordered to pay approximately $4000 restitution. According to court documents, on September 10, 2008, Wisdom possessed items that she stole from a mail route. She used the stolen mail in order to commit bank fraud and credit card fraud. [She] [...] plead guilty last August to one count of possession of stolen mail, and appeared today for sentencing before [US] District Judge Rodney W. Sippel, in St. Louis. Reap commended the work on the case by the [...]Sheriff’s Department, the Rolla [PD], the [USPIS]; and Assistant [US] Attorney Tracy Berry, who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

REMEMBER: Mail theft is a leading cause of identity theft, and the best way to protect yourself against this growing crime is with a high-quality security locking mailbox like the Mail Boss.

Many people use a post office box when they are aware of the risk of mail theft, and yet do not want to go through the “hassle” of installing a locking mailbox at their residence. So they fork out a monthly fee, thinking their mail is safe in government locking mailboxes. Others use PO Boxes because their city or county requires it for mail delivery - they have no other option.

If you have a choice - use a PO Box or install a locking mailbox at your home - it is best to be informed. How “secure” are the government mailboxes? Clearly, not very. This article states that an undisclosed number of locking PO mailboxes were pried open and the locks broken. This is not surprising, as most locking mailboxes offer little to no real mail security.

Locking mailboxes should not be made of low quality materials such as plastic, aluminum, or thin-gauge steel. To provide real security, a locking mailbox must be made of heavy-gauge galvanized steel. In addition, they should have a feature such as this one to prevent prying or leveraged entry.

This story is sad for the victims of mail theft, who are now struggling to determine what was stolen from them and how to go about paying their bills on time, collecting missing checks, and most importantly, protecting their identities. All of this mess could have been avoided for them if they had taken their mail and identity security into their own hands, and installed high-security locking mailboxes at their homes.

For your reading pleasure, the original story reprinted below:

Fondren post office boxes burglarized

Postal inspectors are investigating a weekend break-in at Jackson’s Fondren Place Post Office that targeted a number of private boxes.

“Based on the damage, the locks were broken and the boxes were pried open,” said Doug Kyle, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in Mississippi. The boxes are solid metal.

Kyle would not say how many boxes were burglarized, citing an ongoing investigation. Postal Inspector J.W. King did not return calls for comment.

No suspect has been named.

“We have notified those customers of the vandalism and break-in,” Kyle said. “Some of the boxes needed repair or to have the locks changed, which we’ve done.”

Mail theft and tampering are federal crimes. Once the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the U.S. attorney’s office in Jackson.

“We can’t say what the maximum penalty is until we know what to charge them with,” spokeswoman Sheila Wilbanks said.

John Sumrall, owner of Capitol Medical Supply, said he wasn’t informed of the theft until his wife went to the post office Monday morning - his company’s heaviest mail day.

“There was no lock on our PO box,” Sumrall said. “The whole row of boxes had been hit.”

The only thing inside the boxes were notes directing the owners to pick up their mail behind the service counter. A postal worker also gave his wife a form to fill out, reporting what was missing.

“How the hell would we know what we lost?” Sumrall asked. “We had no clue what was in there.”

However, Sumrall said he usually has bills and checks sent to his box.

“We’re going to get all mixed up, not paying bills that are due because we didn’t get them, not knowing that we owed,” he said. Stolen checks also mean his company will lose payment for equipment it sold.

“If a customer issued a check, we’ll have a hard time getting the money out of them. It will probably delay us 60 to 90 days because they’ll have to cancel the check and cut a new one.”

Kyle said inspectors are not sure when the break-in occurred, though they believe there was a 36- to 44-hour window. The post office, located at 629 Fondren Place, is open until about lunchtime on Saturdays to employees who box mail. After they leave, the post office does not reopen until 8 a.m. on Mondays.

Kyle also said the Postal Service will provide counseling to customers concerned about identity theft as a result of the burglary.

“I can’t comment on specific security measures. We try to provide security at all of our facilities as much as it is feasible,” he said. “But if someone is determined to commit a crime like this, unless we have someone stationed there at all times, we’re not able to totally deter it.”

Meanwhile, the Jackson Police Department also is investigating several business burglaries at Fondren Corner that happened over the same weekend.

“One of them was Sneaky Beans,” Precinct 4 Cmdr. Kenneth Goodrum said. “They got hit Monday morning. Somebody broke in their front door window, went in and took a TV. It was discovered by a patrol officer working his beat.”

Goodrum said there is no evidence so far of connecting the break-ins.

To comment on this story, call Kathleen Baydala at (601) 961-7262.

7:50 AM: Here is the Mail Boss Booth #3357 on Friday morning right before the Convention doors opened. Chris is still waking up. Notice the Starbucks Coffee (it was early) sitting next to the Oasis “locking” mailbox, a.k.a. the “Pez Dispenser”. We put candy in this competitor’s “secure” mailbox and then reach in the incoming mail door and pull it… explaining to Ace Hardware dealers that the candy bar could be their credit card bill or social security statement, and they would never even know it was missing. Hard to explain, but you get the idea.

8:00 AM: Here’s David standing next to the “Pez Dispenser” locking mailbox Also, notice we decorated the booth with a scarecrow in a MailBoss t-shirt! We thought it was quite festive. SOMEONE must have liked it because when we went to pack up the crate at the end of the show, Mr. Scarecrow was gone! Seriously… who steals a MailBoss scarecrow?!!!

Here’s a nice view of the whole booth. In the back left corner you can see the Mail Boss locking mailbox endcap, which was also on Bulletin Special in the buyer’s booth. In the left foreground you can see the remote control Mail Boss (converted from an RC truck-thanks Mike!) that we drive around in the aisles when traffic is slow. We have a good time!

12:30 PM: At lunch time, things slow down a bit, so we took the opportunity to stroll through the new product world. Imagine our surprise when we chanced upon our very own Townhouse Mail Boss Wall Mount locking mailbox in the Home and Garden New Product World. We didn’t know it was going to be featured, so we were pretty excited. How cool!

One new thing with this show was that our Mail Boss locking mailbox endcap was featured in the Buyer’s Booth on 50% Off Bulletin Special. The setup was just 30 feet or so away from our booth, but we weren’t supposed to interact with dealers who were looking at the bulletin. That was tough for us, because there are quite a few unique and patented features on the Mail Boss that we like to show prospective customers. This really helps them to get the “big picture” on why our locking mailbox is heads above the rest.

6:00 PM: Before we leave the Booth each day, we have to take care to secure some things so that we can be sure they’ll be there when we return in the morning. Lucky for us, our booth is equipped with our very own security mailboxes that do the job just fine. So, rather than lug our very expensive laptop back to the hotel, we keep it in the Mail Boss! Now that’s walking the talk.. putting your money where your mouth is.. etc.

6:30 PM: Finally back at the hotel! Here’s Chris and David at the end of the Tradeshow: Day 1. We were all exhausted, but it’s SO worth it!

REDMOND, Washington (October 22, 2009) — Epoch Design, LLC, manufacturer of the Mail Boss^TM locking security mailbox and innovative provider of USPS approved security mailboxes in the U.S., will be introducing their new high security locking mailbox product line at Booth #3356 at the 2009 Fall Ace Hardware Market in Atlanta, Georgia.

To satisfy growing customer demands, Epoch Design has created the new MAIL BOSS^TM Package Master^TM locking security mailbox, the only standard-sized ‘bin-mailer’ that can accept packages and still securely store mail without being vulnerable to fishing.

“After the successful introduction of our Mail Boss high security curbside mailbox, we were flooded with requests for a product that could accept larger parcels and packages but with the same exceptional security features as the original Mail Boss. We soon learned that not a single product was available in the marketplace that would give homeowners true mail security for ‘bin-mailer’ mailboxes,” said David Bolles, President of Epoch Design.

The MAIL BOSS^TM Package Master^TM offers a high security choice for consumers who need to be able to receive parcels and packages. Other package or ‘bin’ mailers offer little to no mail security, because the same opening which allows for package delivery also allows for fishing, leaving homeowners vulnerable to the nightmare of mail identity theft.

The Package Master^TM features an innovative trap door design with patent-pending “Mail Shield” technology. The Mail Shield operates via a lever mechanism that allows for package delivery while engaging an innovative steel barrier which guards the mail and package storage area from access by prying criminal hands.

The Package Master^TM touts the same high security features as the Mail Boss^TM curbside model. Made of 12- and 14-gauge electro-galvanized powder-coated steel, the Package MasterTM also features the patented anti-pry door locking system with a brass core tube lock to foil even the most determined identity thieves.

In addition to introducing the Package Master^TM locking mailbox, Epoch Design will be featured in the Bulletin Specials area, where Ace Hardware members can receive a free point-of-purchase DVD player at the Mail Boss booth with the purchase of the Bulletin end-cap special at 50% off.

Mail Boss^TM products by Epoch Design will be on display at Booth #3356 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on Epoch Design, LLC and the MAIL BOSS^TM, please call (800) 589-7990 or visit www.MailBoss.net online.

Media Contact: Jenny DeRaspe-Bolles, Marketing Manager – jenny@mailboss.net or (800) 589-7990

Click here to download the .pdf version of this press release.

From Michael:

I have been contemplating purchasing one of your Mail Boss locking mailboxes, but am concerned about the cylinder style key lock you use. While you seem to build an otherwise tamper resistant mailbox, i think your lock is its Achilles’ heel.

I had a Kryptonite bicycle lock with the same style key, and after seeing the video in 2004 on how easily they can be picked with a Bic pen, decided to participate in the recall when it became available. Here’s additional info:

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64987

Do you have any plans to upgrade the quality of the lock you’re using?

Michael asks a very important question, and we’re glad he did. We want everyone to know that the old “BIC Pen” trick will not work on the Mail Boss locking mailbox. Here’s what our Vice President John DeRaspe had to say to Michael.

Our response:

Hi Michael,

Simply put, the Bic pen trick will not work on our locks. The Tube size in our locks is non-standard. We have these locks built for us and helped in the design. They are 7 pin locks with very strong springs and a brass core.

Even if you were to find a plastic tubular object that would fit in and push the 7 pins, it would not open because the pins must be pushed to certain levels to open. We currently have 1,000 combinations on our keys and the only way to get extras is to order them through us with proof of purchase.

I have a professional lock picking kit and have not found a dead-bolt or a simple lock like on other mailboxes that I cannot pick within 3 minutes.

Specialized tools beyond what I have are needed to pick a tube lock and the ones that are available are for the standard pin size, not ours. Finally people do not expect to find these locks on locking mailboxes so they are not prepared.

As you and I both know if somebody wants something bad enough they will find a way. Through years of testing the fastest any of us can get into our box is 10 minutes with a crow bar and a long thick screw driver. You have to shred welded 14 gauge galvanized steel to do it. With the exception of a few locking mailboxes like the Fort Knox, the rest can be opened with a household screw driver in 2 seconds or with most parcel mailboxes, you simply reach in and grab what you need. Go to Home Depot and look at the Oasis and you will see what I mean.

Sincerely,
John DeRaspe

So thanks, Michael, for asking a great question! We hope that this may clear up some questions or concerns that others may have as well!

Here’s an epic MAIL DELIVERY: FAIL photo courtesy of FailBlog.

We just want to say… this is really not okay!

When it comes to mail security, we do our part to provide customers with truly secure locking mailboxes. And homeowners do their part to secure outgoing mail by using USPS security locking mailboxes. So come on, Post Office delivery guy… lay off the sauce and do your part!!