Identity Theft Facts:

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States.
Identity theft starts with low tech methods: Stolen Mail, stolen wallets & stolen trash.
Those between the ages of 20 and 29 have the highest odds of becoming identity theft victims — a nearly 1-in-5 chance.
Every hour in the United States, there are 74 robberies — but nearly 2,000 identity theft incidents.

This is pretty scary stuff. Don’t be a victim of mail theft leading to identity theft!

What can you do?

Since your mailbox is one of the easiest sources for criminals to find information about you and your identity, it’s time to remove that source. The best method is to get a post office box and discontinue home delivery of your mail. But for most everyone, this method is not an option due to the distance or inconvenience to get to the post office.

The easiest method for most every day Americans is to employ a locked mailbox. The locked mailbox allows the mail carriers to put your mail into the box but a key is required to retrieve the mail, making it much safer than your standard rural mailbox or urban mailbox which requires no key to retrieve the mail. Simplemailboxes.com provides two different models of security lockable mailboxes: One for rural style and one for urban style.

Having your incoming mail secure can bring peace of mind knowing that your identity is much safer than before.

Safe Mail Handling Practices

Tips for safe mail handling practices include:

Dropping your outgoing mail at the post office. Leaving your outgoing mail in your mailbox when you leave for work allows for an opportunity of mail theft, as outgoing mail cannot be secured.
Always lock your mailbox after retrieving your incoming mail!
Don’t leave mail in your mailbox for days at time.
If you have options on your bills to have them paperless, exercise this option and limit incoming sensitive mail.

Being a victim of identity theft doesn’t have to start with your mailbox, get a secure mailbox today and ward off those pesky criminals!