With the holiday season upon us, Tallahassee Police are warning residents about protecting themselves from mail theft and fraud.
TPD Spokesman David Northway says the warning comes as mail has been taken from unsecured mailboxes.
“People who are out there who would go to your mail box maybe in the middle of the night under the cover of darkness and take the mail out and go through it and pull out what has your information on it that’s simply for you—meaning your credit card numbers, your pin numbers, your social security numbers, things like that,” said Northway.
He says during this time of year, TPD’s Financial Crimes Unit sees an increase in these type of crimes. And, they want residents to be aware of a few do’s and don’ts, including making sure to have a plan when you know you'll be out of town.
“If you have an open mailbox, do not let it sit overnight or over several days, look into the possibility of a getting a locked mailbox where the mail can go in but it can’t be taken out without a key or some sign of a locked being unlocked and then the third thing we would recommend is when you do get mail that you are not going to use—so someone sends you a credit card or even an offer of a credit card—that you shred those documents that have any of your information on them,” Northway added.
So far, TPD has made some recent arrests, and they expect more to come.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.
