Last weekend, Fort Lee, New Jersey, woke up with a disturbing piece of news, several USPS mailboxes have been forced open and letters have disappeared. Many. Of course, what worries the most is that there were people waiting for their Social Security checks or important financial documents, which suddenly have disappeared and now could be in the wrong hands…
How the theft was discovered
Everything was discovered on Sunday morning. At 8:24 a.m., the police found a mailbox on Lemoine Avenue open and unsecured. Strange. That detail was enough to raise alarms and shortly after it was confirmed that it was not an isolated case, that in total, six mailboxes in different parts of the town had been compromised.
The thefts affected both residential areas and post offices, which makes it not look like a random action, but a coordinated one. Who would think of stealing mailboxes?
The affected mailboxes
Authorities have already published the list of the compromised locations:
- 1580 Lemoine Avenue
- 309 Main Street
- 1213 Anderson Avenue (Palisade Post Office)
- 1475 Bergen Boulevard (Plaza West)
- 231 Main Street (New Post Office)
- Abbott Boulevard with Columbia Avenue
Anyone who deposited mail in these mailboxes after 3 p.m. on Saturday should assume their correspondence may be at risk.
Warning to neighbors
For residents, the recommendation is that those who sent checks or other sensitive documents must watch their bank accounts closely. If any strange movement appears, the first thing to do is contact the Fort Lee Police Department at 201-592-3700 and file an official report.
More than lost letters
Mail theft is a serious problem for everyone. Not only do the letters not reach their destination, but those affected people are at real risk of fraud, from identity theft to stolen checks, which could be altered, lost, resold or even used to commit other scams, be very careful.
An open investigation
Of course, there is an ongoing investigation, for now there are no details about suspects or solid leads, but the investigation is still underway. What authorities want to clarify is whether we are facing an isolated incident or an organized group acting with a very specific objective: intercepting financial information.
USPS under pressure
In different parts of the United States similar thefts have been reported, which is calling into question the security of traditional USPS mailboxes. Federal authorities have launched campaigns to ask for more caution when sending sensitive correspondence, and with the current situation maybe it is better to avoid this type of mailing for a while if it is not strictly necessary.
The alert raised with this news is that our mail is not safe. It always used to be, but not anymore and now residents are afraid of possible fraud as is normal, especially knowing that the SSA checks for October are almost on the way.
The police insist that citizen collaboration is key to find information: check accounts, report any irregularities and stay alert in case it happens again and there may be clues. Something as everyday as sending a letter, safety is no longer guaranteed, be careful!