As we all know, methamphetamine is a devastating drug. It ruins lives and communities. However, the numbers of people who are using meth in Massachusetts and Boston continues to rise. This has many negative effects on our lives – some of which may hit as close as your mailbox.
What you need to know: There is a strong positive link between meth rates and identity theft rates. People engage in identity theft because they need a way to make money. Most meth addicts don’t have great credit on their own. So they’ll swipe your identity to get access to funds instead. The easiest way to engage in identity theft involves stealing mail and packages.
It’s very difficult to get accurate statistics on how many pieces of mail and packages are stolen each year. However, if this has happened to you, you know once is too often. Here at Boston Pack and Ship, we provide delivery confirmation services so you know that any letters, packages, or shipments you send actually reach the intended recipient.
Here are some other best practices you can use to help protect your identity:
Locking mailboxes are a great start. If you don’t get your mail at the post office, talk to your local carrier about what types of locking mailboxes are acceptable for your region. Mail thieves work quickly: if a locked mailbox slows them down, they’ll move on to easier pickings.
Check your mail regularly. Ideally, you’ll want to empty your mailbox daily. If you’re having packages delivered to your home or apartment, minimize the amount of time they spend ‘sitting around’ where anyone could grab them. It is often better to arrange to have packages delivered to your office than to a home that sits empty for several hours a day.
Send outgoing mail, especially bills and anything else that contains your financial information, from a Boston shipping store, post office, or post office drop box. One in three cases of identity theft begins with stolen mail: protect yourself!