BLAIRSTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – The Blairstown Township Police Department is warning residents to be careful with their mail after an increase in mail theft.
Many of these cases have resulted in a financial loss as a result of having their mail stolen and or their identity compromised, police said.
Here are some tips to protect yourself from possible mail theft:
- Collect your mail from your mailbox every day as soon as possible after it is delivered. Do not allow mail to accumulate, even in a locked mailbox.
- Deposit outgoing mail into blue collection boxes before the final pick up of the same day of deposit. Check the pick-up schedule posted on the box to ensure your mail will not sit in the box overnight or over the weekend.
- If you have concerns about security in your neighborhood, place mail in a secure receptacle at your place of business or inside at a Post Office.
- When expecting packages to be delivered, monitor tracking at www.usps.com so you know when to expect your shipment. A new U.S. Postal Service feature provides email and text alerts to notify customers of package delivery – sign up at www.myusps.com. You can go to this same website to have the Post Office hold your mail if you are absent from your home for a period of time.
- If you see any suspicious substance, such as glue or other sticky product on the mailbox, please contact your local Post Office to report it and notify Postal Inspectors.
- Immediately report any suspicious activity to local police.
You can report mail theft, identity theft, fraud or other crimes involving the U.S. Mail online 24/7 by visiting the Inspection Service website at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov (Select “contact us” and then “file a complaint.”)
If you see a mail thief at work, call your local police department immediately, then call the Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455.
