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The department issued a fraud alert this week, warning local residents that they are investigating a series of incidents involving alleged criminals using devices to drop into the USPS mailboxes and pull out mail that may include checks or other valuables. Police said that thieves are also targeting residential mailboxes with flags up, indicating mail is inside to be picked up.
“Protect yourself and avoid being a victim,” police said. “Bring your mail directly to the post office and don’t use on-street mailboxes or residential mailboxes.”
Police have offered a series of other tips to help residents avoid becoming victims of fraudsters:
- Consider transferring money via other methods;
- Drop mail containing checks directly at the Post Office or hand it directly to your mail carrier;
- If you use a mailbox, deposit the mail as close to the scheduled pick-up time as possible;
- Inspect mailboxes for signs of tampering prior to depositing your mail;
- When writing a check, use a pen with pigmented ink that cannot be erased;
- If you see any suspicious activity around mailboxes, call the police.
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