Mailbox Thefts Lead to Mail Safety Concerns

Residents in Richardson urges to be on alert after mailbox thefts

Stolen mailboxes in Richardson have police alerting residents about mail safety.

Four times in recent days, mailboxes have been removed or seriously damaged at Richardson homes, police say.

Richardson crime prevention Officer Mike Wieczorek said several of the boxes were taken, post and all.

"And the concern with that is the mail that could potentially still be inside," he said. "That's a target for ID-theft thieves, and what we want to encourage people to do is protect themselves and reduce their risk of that happening to them."

Tips include removing incoming mail promptly each day and taking outgoing mail with checks or credit information directly to a post office instead of leaving it in a box with a red flag for the carrier.

"Typically you're mailing bills containing checks, containing account information, and that is what the ID thieves are after," Wieczorek said.

The residents who lost boxes are not yet certain whether mail was actually stolen. They've been told to watch credit and bank accounts carefully for signs of trouble.

Contact Us