How to protect yourself from mail theft

PITTSBURGH — Mail thefts are on the rise across the country, and here at home.

Post office officials are telling people not to leave their mail sitting in their mailboxes for long periods of time.

Stephen Pouleris is in town for the holidays and was dropping off a letter for his parents at the Castle Shannon Post Office.

He was surprised to hear that post office officials say there have been complaints of stolen mail in Castle Shannon and Pleasant Hills.

“Hopefully they get caught and pay the consequences,” Pouleris said.

Pouleris is concerned his parents could be targeted.

“They still do write checks, it’s that generation. I’d rather them get their bills taken care of so it is a little scary to think that they could have someone steal their stuff,” he said.

According to USPS, from 2018-2023, postal inspectors arrested almost 9,000 people for stealing mail and packages.

With stealing mail, a spokesperson said thieves look for checks to “wash” them — a method used to convert checks to cash.

But for people who prefer to pay their bills with checks, and through the mail, there’s a level of worry.

The thieves are stealing from residential mailboxes, cluster mailbox units, or even official blue collection boxes.

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