Stolen Mailboxes Pose ID Theft Risk To Valley Postal Customers

July 14, 2011 7:43 AM

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Federal officials launched an investigation on Thursday after four 200-pound mailboxes were stolen in less than a week at multiple San Fernando Valley post offices, potentially leaving postal customers vulnerable to identity theft.

The mailboxes stolen from offices in Pacoima, Glendale and Burbank were bolted into a concrete slab, U.S. Postal Inspector Renee Focht told the Glendale News-Press.

KNX 1070′s Ed Mertz reports.

No suspects have been named, but the thefts appeared to be a “recent trend,” Focht said.

Investigators have not confirmed if all the incidences were connected.

Focht advised concerned postal customers to check their credit reports and contact their banks.

All of the mailboxes will be replaced, Richard Maher of the U.S. Postal Service said.

The agency has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The public was urged to report suspicious activity at (877) 876-2455 or visit the official website for details.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

Stolen Mailboxes Pose ID Theft Risk To Valley Postal Customers

LUNA

ozzy..I couldn’t agree with you more!!! You hit the nail on the head!
LUNA

Also …How IRONIC is that…… the photo shown is with a MERCEDES!!!! Go figure

Barney

Yeah, but it’s old. It must be fun and expensive keeping it running.

sublore

andddddd your internet name is “ozzy” okay???

jasperddbgghost

sublore is supposedly supposed to make sense?
Michelle “Hamburgler” Obama Speaks…

TT

a 200 lb box plus the mail that was in it…..- you would think someone would Notice – or hear them being torn from the ground – kinda weird nobody stepped up n reported it while it was happening…Thats not something that goes un noticed…

jeffj

you kiddn’? they probably had an applauding audience there in the ‘hood, bro!

Tides of Truth

I would be more concerned of bombs being planted in them.

Phil Brown

Exactly my thought too. They can be packed and relocated to busy mall areas.

GA

My thoughts too. If you were going after the mail, would it be easier to break into the box then to steal the whole thing. They could place those box anywhere and few would even notice.

kllrbee

I thought of that also, it would be perfect to steal mailboxes, wire them up then plant them roadside at another location. I mean, really, does anyone check if a mailbox is where it belongs or not?

Big Bear

The Secret Service inspects that stuff on a Presidential motorcade route. A mailbox bomb would be effective on a single target, but if someone wanted to hit a large target like a mall or high-rise, they would likely use a truck bomb ala Tim McVeigh.

Still, it would be a means for a roadside bomb. No one would likely notice a mailbox. They are just too common.

sailordude

I didn’t think about ID theft and while that is important.

HOW ABOUT THEM BEING USED AS BOMBS?

Why does the news not think outside of what it is told by the government?

Phil Brown

The FLQ used mailbox bombs in Montreal in the 60s.

Alice Ramirez

ALWAYS use an inside-the-building mail slot, one built into a wall. It is less convenient, but probably less theft-prone.
Alice Ramirez

I don’t think Armenians have a corner on crookery. I wonder why you have such a bias against Armenians.
noone

incidents, not incidences, you moron.

Jerry Allen

dats awl ewe got? is spellllyeing?

Mike Landry

Watch out , I see these being used as ied’s you can fill a lot of explosive in those.

joe

exactly my first thought.

sailordude

“potentially leaving postal customers vulnerable to identity theft.”

BTW, why would thieves go through the trouble of unbolting big mailboxes, when they could drive up to people’s home mailboxes and just swipe their mail?

These were swiped for bomb making! Be careful people!

JamesT

Real easy. Bill payments will have a vast amount of data. People have a tendnecy to write their account numbers on the check, as requested by the companies they are paying, to make sure their account is properly accredited.

Bo

If at all possible, get out of your car and put your mail in the inside mail slot. I do not put my mail (business or personal) in the outside mailboxes. I haven’t for years, and I’ve never had any outgoing mail stolen.
Ric Neumann

How about this for a possibility? Steal mailbox, pack with explosives, place at corner of busy intersection downtown where there is heavy pedestrian traffic in the morning and set the things off all at the same time. How else can you get that much explosive there without being challenged?
.
Bubba

And now we see the first signs of incipient breakdown of social order. Way to go Obama! You’re destroying America faster than Soros could have hoped. How long before the natives are hacking each other with machetes?

dootise

and so to you the President is responsible for this theft? I’ll be you found him responsible for bagging Osama too..didn’t you? you didn’t?

John Yaya

You guys blame Bush for everything. Why can’t Obozo take just a little blame?

Mexican

I bet it was Mexicans

Jim

Definitely Mexicans. They steal colorful stuff.
Steve

In California, who else.

sailordude

Life after 9/11/2001

after a few of those mailboxes start blowing up and killing people……

you won’t see mailboxes in America anymore.

heatherfeather

That might be the plan. But why not use car bombs, then?

snortsoutloud

I put my toy snake in there and presto. I get off!
Rocco Henderson

I’m thinking they were after the metal that the boxes were made of.
Big John

Illegals that make any money anymore.
Mark

The correct URL for the Postal Inspectors Service is: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/
tom

So much for homeland security
chloe

they also did this years ago in palm beach county florida. they told us to “take ‘em INSIDE never leave any mail outside in those drive up boxes”. can’t remember if they actually caught anyone or got the stolen mail back.
had a neighbor who was a rural mailman who stole magazines and catalogues and then gave them away. this was in another state. hope he is behind bars now.
Yariana Smith

Maybe they were Decepticons.
Bill

This is insane. Metal theives stealing critical infrastructure for pennies. 800 pounds of iron fetches $80. think of the time, effort, and gas required to make that $80, let alone that replacing them puts a burden of 1000s upon honest citizens. Other thieves are stealing power equipment, air conditioning units, and other infrastructer that could result in death. This is looting. It is sociopathic behavior. Whatever happened to the old slogan looters will be shot?