Decatur PD Receiving Reports of Mail Theft
Decatur Metro | March 30, 2010Here we go again. From Decatur PD…
Please do not place payments for outgoing bills in your mailbox. We are continuing to receive reports of thefts of outgoing mail that lead to fraud.
To prevent mail theft in your neighborhood:
- *Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery.
- *Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection mailboxes or at your local post office. Do not leave mail in unsecured mail receptacles.
- *Shred pre-approved credit applications, credit card receipts, bills, and other financial information you don’t want before discarding it in the trash or recycling bin.
- *If you plan a vacation, please notify your local post office to place a courtesy hold on your mail until you return from vacation.
- *Please report any type of mail theft to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Decatur Police Department.
There have also been packages stolen off porches in Oakhurst.
Any idea why the helicopters have been circling my neighborhood for the past thirty minutes? Doubtful that it has to do with mail or roosters. . . .
Altmod: From robmackenna on twitter: Apparently a gas main leak near the RR tracks in Fernbank area
Ah! Thanks. I was worried they were coming for me. . . . Helicopters gone now. Peace restored to Ponce de Leon Heights. Thanks again!
Please consider both RECEIVING and PAYING your bills online at your bank or credit union. Most major, and many local, financial institutions offers this service; more than 90% offer it for free.
Despite what you read, most ID fraud happens offline, not online. Fraudsters have been known to pay people to drive up and down streets and to collect outgoing mail from any box with a flag up.
The safest way to protect your information is to find a bank you trust, and manage your bills there without a paper trail. And it goes without saying that you should practice good security on your end of that connection.
We had the same problem last month. We put the check for our rent in our landlord’s mailbox, and apparently it was stolen.
We realized it when we check our account online. The check was cashed 6 hours after I dropped it. The bank told us that the check was washed and they were very good at replicating my signature.
Bank of America put the money back in our account in 2 days though.