'Fishing' Reports Spark Warnings On Westchester Public Mailboxes

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Reports of "fishing" for checks at USPS public mailboxes has led officials to warn Sound Shore residents to think twice about dropping important or valuable mail in the iconic "blue boxes."

An uptick in complaints about stolen mail isn't limited to incidents where "porch pirates" have been grabbing unattended Amazon packages. It turns out that this holiday season, both giving and receiving come with some risks.

Citing "an increase in checks and mail being stolen from mailboxes in Mamaroneck," the Mamaroneck PBA took to social media to tell residents not to put too much trust in street side mailboxes.

In recent weeks, postal customers in New Rochelle have also complained about a "sticky substance" coating the mail chutes of the mail boxes in front of the main post office downtown. In the past, mailbox fishing crews have employed a similar technique to make it easier to access letters mailed by unsuspecting postal customers.

Most of the outdoor public mailboxes in New Rochelle that were traditional handle and door mail receptacles have been replaced with boxes that have letter-sized chutes and oneway flaps. The new boxes make things more difficult for thieves, vandals and other wrongdoers, but the new design is far from theft-proof.

In some cities, postal officials have taken the drastic step of locking street side mailboxes closed after dark.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) told Patch that the agency responsible for securing the U.S. Mail has a policy not to confirm, deny, or otherwise comment on the existence of its ongoing investigations.

"Postal Inspectors encourage the public to help keep mail deliveries safe by reporting any suspicious activity related to the U.S. Mail," USPIS spokesperson Donna Harris said in a statement. "Customers who believe they have been victims of mail theft as a result of mailbox fishing should contact Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455, and select option “3” or say 'theft.'"

The USPIS asked that victims report suspected crimes directly to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service versus your local post office to ensure that your complaint is addressed, and that the information is reported in a timely manner to your local Postal Inspector’s office. The agency said the complaints are valuable in helping to identify those who commit this crime.

Postal Inspectors offered a few tips to help avoid becoming the victim of mailbox fishing and related crimes:

• Deposit outgoing mail into blue collection boxes before the final pickup of the same day of deposit.
• Ensure that your mail will not sit in the box overnight or over a weekend or holiday. If the collection box notes the last collection is at 5 p.m., do not deposit mail after 5 p.m.
• Collect your mail from your mailbox every day as soon as possible after it is delivered. Do not allow mail to accumulate, even in a locked mailbox.
• If you plan on traveling and will not have access to your daily mail delivery, consider placing your mail on hold at your local post office, either online or in person.
• If you have concerns about security in your neighborhood, place mail in a collection box in another area, in a secure receptacle at your place of business, or bring it to your local post office.
• If you see any suspicious substance, such as glue or other sticky product on the mailbox, contact your local post office to report it, and notify postal inspectors at 877-876-2455.
• Monitor and review financial statements regularly (bank or credit card) to ensure that no suspicious or unauthorized activity has occurred. If you mailed a payment to a creditor and it has not been received, review your account to ensure that the check was not altered and made payable to another party.