by Lane Roberts

While many look forward to the coming of summer and the warmer weather, one summer phenomenon that is not so pleasant is an increase in residential neighborhood crime - especially mail theft.
Mail theft can involve checks, credit card applications, bank account statements and even birthday cards. Yes, birthday cards! Bright colored envelopes with greetings such as “Happy Birthday” written on the outside are easy targets for mail thieves. Cards such as these often have cash or gift certificates stashed inside and are virtually untraceable.
In addition to stealing cash and checks, predators use information obtained from stolen mail to engage in identity theft. The repercussions of this go far beyond losing a few dollars, and may take years to repair. To avoid becoming a victim, here are a few crime prevention tips to keep in mind:

Use the drop slots at the post office to mail letters instead of individual mailboxes or community collection boxes.

Pick up mail promptly after delivery, and do not leave mail in the mailbox overnight.

Ask the bank for “secure” checks that can not be altered.
Have a trusted friend or neighbor pick up mail when out of town.

If a check or other valuable mail does not arrive when expected, immediately contact the issuing agency.

If paying a credit card bill, do not write the entire account number on the check for reference – only the last four numbers. The credit card company can access the entire account number from the last four, but a thief can not.

Send gift cards or checks in plain envelopes, being careful not to draw additional attention to them. NEVER send cash in the mail.

Have checks printed with work phone numbers or cell phone numbers instead of home phone numbers, and NEVER have social security numbers printed on checks.

Contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit at 303-660-7544 for more information. Report all suspicious activity to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office immediately by calling 303-660-7500
or 911 if the suspicious or illegal activity is in-progress.