10:45am | Mail theft is on the rise in the city, says the Long Beach Police Department, and residents are urged to take the following precautions in protecting themselves.
Thieves throughout the city have taken to stealing mail that may contain important checks or payments, particularly those earmarked for mortgage lenders, credit card companies and financial institutions. Do not leave your outgoing mail hanging exposed from a residential mailbox.
Police advise residents to take the following precautions:
- Do not write account, driver’s license or social security numbers on your checks
- If possible, satisfy payments on-line or at your creditor’s website
- Place or deposit outgoing mail in a mail slot located inside a postal facility or hand it to your neighborhood postal carrier
- When ordering checks from your financial institution, request the secure type that cannot be altered
- Do not send cash in the mail
- Retrieve mail from your mailbox promptly after delivery
If you’ve become a victim of mail fraud, report the incident to the Long Beach Police Department and the United States Postal Service. Click here for United States Postal Inspection Service tips to prevent mail fraud and call the LBPD Forgery/Fraud Detail at 562.570.7330 with any questions.