If your mailbox looks like this:
Instead of looking like this:
Then go find one of these when you want to send mail out:
All manatee and R2D2 mailboxes aside, I’m not joking. Do you know what thieves call those red flags like the one on the manatee mailbox? They call those “Steal Me flags.” To a thief, that flag sticking up in the air means “there’s something in here, and it’s probably a check or some other piece of information useful for identity theft.”
Only send your mail out from locked outgoing mail boxes, or the big blue boxes that thieves can’t reach into.
This post is a part of National Protect Your Identity Week. Be sure to check out www.ProtectYourIDNow.org and subscribe to this site to get all the ID theft prevention tips!
Oh my gosh, that R2D2 mailbox is hilarious!!! You’re right, the red flag up is just an invitation to steal. That’s certainly what I would do in the middle of the night if I was so inclined to steal.
I’ve got a mailbox that when you put the mail in, it goes into the garage of my house. I go to the post office to send all stuff anyway.
However, my parents house in Hawaii has the flag thingy. I better tell em!
Best
I’ve never seen an R2D2 mailbox!! Even though my apartment is in a locked building and our mailboxes look like the latter ones … folks readily put their mail in a little hanging basket for the (very honest) post man to pick up. They do this even though there’s a secure post box right out side the front door. I think that I still have city living in me and don’t understand why not just go out the extra ten steps to be secure.
Anyway, all that to say that the usps instituted a policy here that if we are not at home and are receiving a package, they’ll leave a note (like FedEx or UPS) to come down to the post office to pick up packages that won’t fit into our locked boxes. I think there was an issue in a different part of the building where someone was taking other people’s packages. Just an FYI.
Whatever anyone says about USPS, but they provide plenty of drop off boxes for mail. However, when dropping off your letter, make sure that the drop-off box isn’t full. If it is, its very easy for the thief to put his hand in and take the mail out.
That R2-D2 mailbox is quite impressive, although the manatee one is even cuter. Good advice on using post office drop boxes instead, though.
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