Don’t Be a Victim of Identity Theft:
News reports of mail being stolen from the United States Postal Services (USPS) locations (outside drop-off locations) are everywhere. In this recent crime spree, thieves will steal mail out of business and consumer mailboxes. Reminder, the USPS recommends dropping your mail inside the USPS location and not in the outside boxes.
The following are some credible news articles referencing such mail theft instances:
- KMOV “U.S. Postal Investigation Launched After Multiple Post Offices Hit in St. Louis County”
- KMOV “Police Search for Thieves Who Stole Checks from St. Charles County Churches”
- KSDK “Mailboxes in These ZIP Codes Being Hit by Thieves Stealing Checks, Personal Information”
Unfortunately, if your mail was recently stolen, you are at a much higher risk for Identity Theft. We recommend you place fraud alerts with one of the three credit bureaus, monitor your credit report, and monitor your bank account for checks clearing, along with the amount and withdrawals.
To help avoid stolen checks in the mail, consider using online services like First Bank’s Online Bill Pay to avoid mailing checks.
If you think you’ve been the victim of identity theft, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online or by phone at 1-877-438-4338. In addition, report Identity Theft to the local Police Department, especially if you know the identity thief, the thief used your name in an interaction with police, the criminals used your information with a creditor, or another company requires you to provide a police report.
For more fraud prevention tips, visit First Bank’s Security Hub.
Resources:
consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security
www.identitytheft.gov
reportfraud.ftc.gov