Simple Way to Protect Your Identity From Thieves
By JANE GEELAN
Updated 7:18 AM CST, Mon, Jun 22, 2009
North Texas police departments are taking note of a Plano inventor's ingenious device to protect homeowners from identity theft.
Harry Kalenberg decided to do something after a theif stole checks from his mother's mailbox and cleaned out her bank account.
"This girl was following the mail courier with a pair of binoculars, and watching what he was putting in mailboxes," said Kalenberg. "And it just so happens he put a box of checks in my mom's mailbox."
So Kalenberg went to his garage workshop and put together a device, called the Gray Door which he now sells and installs. The device costs $65.
"It's a simple system. Mailman comes, puts the mail through here (the hole in the top of the device). You come home, put your key in there," said Kalenberg as he demonstrated his
Kalenberg said the Farmers Branch, Plano and the Dallas police departments are impressed.
"It protects the mail from being taken out of the box," said Det. James MacPhail with the Farmers Branch Police Department. "I looked for other products that equal it, and I couldn't find any."
For now, Kalenberg is making each box by hand, by himself.
"This is all word of mouth. I go out and do somebody's mailbox, and before I know it, they get online and email all their friends and everybody wants one," Kalenberg said.
Now, investors are interested in seriously expanding Kalenberg's operation, but if it doesn't happen he will keep toiling away in his garage.
Kalenberg said he is satisfied "just to know that nobody can get in there and take somebody's mail."
First Published: Jun 21, 2009 11:31 PM CST
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