50 Cases Of Mail Tampering Reported In Smithtown: Report

SMITHTOWN, NY - At least 50 Smithtown residents have made claims of mail tampering, stating that is has been a problem in the area since last October.

Local resident Suzanne Bono told CBS2 that she discovered two birthday cards sent to her by mail have been open -- including one that contained a $100 American Express gift card, which was missing.

"That’s not the way it should be.” she told CBS2. “It’s a sad world we live in today.”

St. James resident Jessica told News12 that she also found that a birthday card sent to her by mail had already been opened.

Since she has a locked mailbox and a video camera outside her home, which did not show any suspicious activity, she suspects her card was open before it was delivered to her.

“I knew something was up,” she told News12. “When I opened it, the gift card that my sister-in-law had sent was missing.”

Both women reported the incidents to their local post office.

“The woman on the phone kind of made it sound like this has been happening a lot lately,” Jessica told News12.

The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement that they are aware of the situation in Smithtown and are currently looking into it.

"Customers who have concerns about their mail should contact the Postal Service directly so that each incident is thoroughly researched," the statement read. "That timely exchange determines what actions are needed to resolve the issue. Managers can look at delivery schedules, bar coding on envelopes or even conduct real-time review of mail processing equipment and delivery conditions that may impact mail delivery."

According to the Postal Service, customers who have concerns that their mail has been tampered with may also contact the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General hot line at 888-USPSOIG or 888-877-7649.

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