Friday, February 3, 2012
Tips To Prevent Mail Theft, A Growing Trend In Long Beach
by Ryan ZumMallen | Archive | 08.18.10 | 
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10:45am | Mail theft is on the rise in the city, says the Long Beach Police Department, and residents are urged to take the following precautions in protecting themselves.

Thieves throughout the city have taken to stealing mail that may contain important checks or payments, particularly those earmarked for mortgage lenders, credit card companies and financial institutions. Do not leave your outgoing mail hanging exposed from a residential mailbox.
Police advise residents to take the following precautions:
  • Do not write account, driver's license or social security numbers on your checks
  • If possible, satisfy payments on-line or at your creditors website
  • Place
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    or deposit outgoing mail in a mail slot located inside a postal facility or hand it to your neighborhood postal carrier
  • When ordering checks from your financial institution, request the secure type that cannot be altered
  • Do not send cash in the mail
  • Retrieve mail from your mailbox promptly after delivery
If you've become a victim of mail fraud, report the incident to the Long Beach Police Department and the United States Postal Service. Click here for United States Postal Inspection Service tips to prevent mail fraud and call the LBPD Forgery/Fraud Detail at 562.570.7330 with any questions.


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2 Comments so far.
Victim
I have noticed a lot of Male Fraud in Long Beach, spending more quality time in WEHO now.

MailBoss
Good advice, for the most part. But “Retrieve your mail promptly”? Seriously? Many mail thieves are so brazen that they follow the postal trucks. With ID theft at an all time high, people need to be vigilant. Your unlocked mailbox is one of the easiest ways for thieves to steal your personal information for identity theft. They can find bank account numbers, credit card statements, courtesy checks, social security statements and more all in your mailbox. To prevent mail identity theft, use a high security locking mailbox like the Mail Boss that cannot be fished by hand or easily pried open with a screwdriver. The Mail Boss is available at your local Ace Hardware or True Value.

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LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.

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