What To Do If Your Mail Is Stolen

empty mailboxMail theft often goes unnoticed, because many thieves are sneaky. They may take only what is useful to them, leaving the junk mail for their unsuspecting victims.

Sometimes, though, you just know. Perhaps you haven’t received anything in days, or your junk mail is strewn about the sidewalk. Maybe there are opened empty envelopes in your mailbox.

Your mail has been stolen!

So what do you do if this happens to you? Follow these steps!

(1) Issue a Fraud Alert Immediately.

This temporary alert (expires after 90 days) requires credit bureaus to contact you directly to verify your identity when anyone inquires on your credit. Contact (by phone or online) one of the three major credit bureaus and request a fraud alert. No need to contact all three, as they are required to communicate fraud alerts with each other. Fraud Alert Contact Information:

(2) Report Theft to the USPIS.

The United States Postal Inspection Service is responsible for investigating all mail theft. Notify them immediately if you know your mail is stolen. To report your mail theft online, use this USPIS Contact Form.

(3) File a Complaint with the FTC.

The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for compiling national data on mail and identity theft. Beware the FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints, but provides valuable information for officials in their investigations. File a complaint with the FTC Complaint Form.

(4) Don’t Be a Victim: Secure Your Mail!

A high-quality locking security mailbox will keep your incoming mail secure until you have a chance to retrieve it, protecting your mail from would be mail-identity thieves. Remember, a high security mailbox like the Mail Boss curbside locking mailbox will protect your mail and help prevent you from becoming a victim of mail theft in the future.

20 Comments

  1. Lucas carr on March 11, 2018 at 9:00 pm

    Have a family member who randomly drops by and checks my grandpas mail but also takes my mail, my wife’s and mother in laws mail and refuses to give it back. Can i press charges, some of the mail also contained money from birthday cards and also my payroll checks.

    • anon on March 31, 2021 at 12:53 am

      Of course? No mater who they are, even you’re own parents cannnot take/open your mail (without permission). It’s a federal offense

  2. Gabriel on March 12, 2018 at 11:02 am

    Hi Lucas, thanks for your inquiry. The simplest approach going forward would be to purchase a secure, locking mailbox (hint wink). Our mailboxes come with three keys so you, your wife and mother/grandpa could all have access to the mailbox if required. This family member would be unable to access the mailbox anymore, so long as you keep your keys secure and on your person. You may be able to file charges if you have proof of mail theft, though with family these situations can sometimes get complicated. Check out our website and secure your mail! https://www.mailboss.com/product-category/curbside-mailboxes/

    • Ben on January 19, 2021 at 7:21 pm

      I have a similar problem but need a wall-mounted mailbox. I’ve looked at wall-mounted mailboxes on Amazon and they all have the same problem. Easy to fish letters through the slot, which makes the lock pointless. :-/

      • Gabriel w/ MailBoss on January 20, 2021 at 10:30 am

        Hi Ben, thanks for your comment. Our Metro and Townhouse units are pretty large at around 17″ tall, which allow envelopes, letters and small packages to drop down into the lower portion of the box and become out of reach. I do not have tiny hands, but I cannot get my fingers more than a couple inches into the opening of those boxes! Feel free to check out the dimensional drawings on our website, hopefully that helps!

  3. Liz on June 9, 2018 at 8:39 am

    There has to be in place with the postal service, a more reasonable solution, when you know your mail is being stolen and whose stealing it. Because, in this situation, an order of protection exists from the courts and the person stealing the mail isn’t supposed to even come around. And making matters much worse, that person must have put a change of address in for my mail too and not just his. This has been a very dangerous situation for 3 weeks now, as I’m living in fear until I can get relocated. But, to change my address and steal my mail, should not be a mere occurance without consequences. Is there any help for this besides making phone calls that only helps future victims, possibly ?

  4. Gabriel on June 26, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    Hi Liz, we’re very sorry for your situation. We highly recommend purchasing a secure, locking investment into your mail security like one of the Mail Boss Curbside Locking Mailboxes to prevent and deter any future or ongoing mail theft. Speak directly with your local postmaster and make sure that your mail is coming to the intended address. By filing a Fraud alert at the mentioned websites, you’ll be able to prevent any suspicious activity upon your credit. Good luck Liz!

  5. Michelle on September 10, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    Just found the neighborhood mailbox broken into, completely empty… I called the post office and reported it, called the sheriff and filed a report, and went on equifax and did a credit freeze. Any other suggestions to prevent identity or credit theft?

  6. Gabriel on September 11, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    Hi Michelle, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you signed up for USPS informed delivery? I highly recommend using this free service as you get a picture of what you are expected to receive in the mail each day. If you sign up then you will be able to see your future mail content on the day that is expected. They send you an email of each of the scanned pieces. If you were expecting receive any bills, personal information, etc. then at least you know what to expect going forward. What kind of mailbox does your neighborhood have, is it a cluster unit? As always, I highly recommend our Mail Boss curbside products, as they will surely do a better job of deterring mail theft for you and your neighbors. Good luck, and make sure to keep an eye on your accounts for the near future.

  7. Gabriel on December 19, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    Hi Yvonne, I’m sorry to hear what is happening with your delivered mail. First off – if you do not have a secure, locking mailbox such as Mail Boss, you do not have a first line of defense against potential thieves. Any deterrent will help prevent mail theft, such as cameras, stickers saying under surveillance, etc. Finally, if you are able to pick up your mail soon after the delivery time, that will give any potential thieves less time to grab your mail. Good luck!

  8. Gabriel on January 10, 2019 at 1:22 pm

    Hi Mike, i’m sorry to hear that. I recommend reporting the mail as missing or stolen to the carrier, and contacting the vendor. Cheers and good luck!

  9. Jaime Martin on February 8, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    My tracking for USPS says a very important package was “left with individual.” I was at work, and who knows who the mailman gave it to but it wasnt me or any of my neighbors. What can I do about this??

  10. Bonnie& Sam on February 15, 2019 at 5:56 am

    We have a woman down the road who’s been harassing us who doesn’t even live in our residents where we rent a room from but because the gentleman we rent from allows this woman to check his mail randomly the mail carrier company said there was nothing they could do about this woman stealing our mail. We called the police they wouldn’t even let me write out a report all they did was go talk to her which we could have done ourselves, but it almost caused me to go to jail yesterday nearly missing a court summons all my bank information and W-2s and the title to our new vehicle or in the possession of someone that we cannot prosecute. How frustrating

  11. MR STARR on February 27, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    I subscribe to Informed Delivery. There have been 2 or 3 Mail pieces due pertaining to Voting and I never received them. The USPS keeps giving me excuses, such as the substitute is putting Mail in the wrong boxes. So, nothing is done about my Stolen mail. I would prefer NOT to receive any Mail at ALL from these people!!! When I received large Mail envelope with Trump or wife’s name on it, it is Stuffed in the Box and Bent up! Other junk mail I do NOT want, which is begging for monies and is Smaller, is given to the Desk Person.

  12. callum on April 7, 2020 at 6:01 am

    my mail has not turned up and the employee at the delivery office said its probably been stolen

  13. juan guel on May 18, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    I purchases gift cards I wanted for the mailman to pickup at my mailbox he did. It was to be delivered to Texas been 4 week and the relative has not received yet also went to the drop off at the post office and the same thing the relative not received there in San Jose. In the pass done this a lot and no problem no worry at all had full honesty with the post office.
    hopefully the gift cards get to there destination soon both cards were sent about the same time I was told don’t trust the sending through the mail I pray that this is not true jest the thought the that mail people would still is unbelievable. these were cards for sick relatives.

  14. HERBERT JONES on August 12, 2021 at 11:34 pm

    Someone stole a letter out of my car that I had just received in the mail. Can I report that to the Postal Inspectors as stolen mail?

  15. Scott Harbold on January 25, 2022 at 6:28 am

    What about when you have a neighbor tell you “if they get mail that is not theirs, the just throw it away.” Most of the time it belongs to a neighbor They don’t both to take it to that neighbor.

  16. RM on June 14, 2022 at 12:03 pm

    Lol, kind of a joke. I called the USPS postal inspector’s office. I have had mail not arrive two times this year (a total of 4 checks to vendors) . I was told that there was nothing they could do about mail stolen from an outdoor box, that I should send all mail certified with tracking-even first class letters to places like the electric co, water co., jc penney-ridiculous! This is happening to a lot of people now more than ever. It costs $33.00 per check to put a stop payment on them at the bank. The USPS either needs to remove the outdoor boxes or pay the stop payment fees for everyone that this happens to. Don’t bother reporting theft, they do nothing.

    • Gabriel w/ MailBoss on June 15, 2022 at 10:10 am

      Hi RM, thanks for your comment. A good way to secure your mail is to purchase an install a MailBoss locking curbside mailbox. We have several models available, but our most popular of which is the Mail Manager series, which can accept a really good-sized incoming package via the bin style door. The Mail Manager features the same high-security locking system that we are so well-known and trusted for. While our boxes aren’t impenetrable or immune to theft, most locking mailboxes can be easily ‘popped’ in about 3-5 seconds with a small flat-head screwdriver. By comparison, all of our curbside mailboxes require a very large crowbar to break into, along with SIGNIFICANT time and effort.

      We also recommend dropping off any important outgoing mail (like checks or anything containing private/personal information) at your local post office or a secured USPS drop box – as outgoing mail is never safe in a residential mailbox. I strongly believe that a MailBoss mailbox will help significantly with the issues you are facing, saving you time and money in the long run. Please let us know if you have any questions about our products.

Leave a Comment