New Twist Emerges In Glastonbury Mail Theft Saga

GLASTONBURY, CT — The rash of mail thefts in Glastonbury has taken a new twist.

Glastonbury police earlier this month said they have now received complaints of mail thieves targeting business mailboxes after hours and overnight. The bandits are then using the stolen mail to "generate fraudulent checks and other fraud related crimes," police said.

The Glastonbury police are recommending that businesses and residents not put outgoing mail in their own mailboxes after hours and check their mailboxes to ensure that received mail is not left in the mailbox overnight.

This comes on the heels of a warning in late May that urged residents to avoid using the blue mailboxes at the town's United States Postal Service locations while they investigate a rash of thefts from them.

Police said they have seen "an increase in thefts" from the mailboxes located in front of all three Post Offices in town.

"The thieves engaging in this criminal activity have been known to gain access to and take the entire contents of the mailbox," police said.

Mail that does not contain a check typically gets thrown in the trash and "never reaches its intended recipient," police added.

As a "precaution," police are recommending that residents not place any mail in the mailboxes after the last pickup of the day, which is posted on the outside of the box, even if the mail does not contain a check.

"Please go inside the Post Office and hand your mail directly to a postal worker," police said.