Watch Out for Mailbox Identity Theft!

Recently, Greg Hunter of ABC News reported that the Federal Trade Commission estimates 400,000 Americans have had their mail – and their identities – stolen.

In fact, one resident of Cherry Hill, New Jersey was so convinced someone was stealing her mail that she set up a video camera to monitor her mailbox. Sure enough, the thief was captured on camera, which helped lead to an arrest.

The thief had cashed stolen checks, withdrawn money from victims' bank accounts and, in one particularly distasteful incident, charged almost $400 on a checking account belonging to a woman who was at her mother's funeral at the time.

Clearly, mailboxes are a ripe option for crooks looking to steal identities. Credit cards and driver's licenses are prime targets, but personal checks are popular as well. Chemical baths can take handwriting off of checks, rendering them – for all practical purposes – brand new.

Here are some tips Hunter provides to avoid mailbox identity theft.

• Don't leave outgoing mail in your mailbox. Take it to the post office, or get a mailbox that can be locked.

• Double-check all credit card bills and bank statements. The faster something is caught and recorded, the better the chance of recovery.
  
• If you feel you might be a victim, call one of the following bureaus and place a fraud alert on your accounts. Don't worry about calling all three; once one is notified, the others work together and are updated automatically.
  

Equifax 1-800-525-6285

Experian 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion 1-800-680-7289

Or you can visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft