From WSB’er Buddsmom:
This morning at approx. 7:20 I found a pile of stolen mail behind the bus shelter at 35th AVE SW and SW 108th [map] in Arbor Heights. The addresses are from four separate houses in the vicinity of SW 106th and 107th between the 3100 block of 106th to 35th Ave SW. Anything that appears to be of a financial nature had been opened. The Westwood branch of the post office has been notified and will turn the items over to the postal inspector for investigation.
how can we find out if our address was in the pile? we have a secure mail slot so I assume it wasn’t but want to find out anyway…
Thanks for being a good neighbor and contacting the post office. I switched my mailbox for a locking box a few years ago after some of my mail was found in a car trunk full of stolen mail (also Arbor Heights – 42nd/100th).
Our neighbor is installing new locking boxes for 4 of us, apparently our mail has been gone through too. We are on 28th Ave SW, south of 106th.
I would suggest a locking box as well. I live on 107th and Seola Beach – and found a pile of mail down in the Seola Creek ravine about 4 months ago.
I went down and fetched it out and gave it to the mailwoman. She mentioned it happened alot.
I’m noticing a cluster of mail thefts though in our area – any contacts with the postal inspector ?
It has to be a person in the area that lives or works around here.
I’m not sure if these houses have curbside or front porch mailboxes. I have the latter. Someone would have to really go out of their way. There were also beer cans at the shelter and all the windows have been recently smashed.
sheez, I could not believe as I am really shocked that someone has a nerve to go and steal the mails for any money. ha! thiefs would not get any money from our families unless they are smart enough. I have been watching every single street and memorize every face who i see on the street and memorize homes with their parked vehicles. i am sure neighbors will see my face and my big dog everyday during late afternoon to early evening. Good job Buddsmom!!
We have a locked box on the house and one day someone that was not the mail-person came up and tried to open it – while I was home! Pretty brazen I thought. I guess from the street it might look like they were just dropping off a pamphlet or something.
Well.. that explains the envelope we found on the corner of Marine View Dr and 110th, it was closing documents for a house just down the street, ripped open and thrown into some bushes. We returned it to the address listed, it was just down the street. We thought it was strange…
To Concerned…no, there was nothing from 108th. There were however, several pieces from a house VERY near the bus stop.
i have a locking mailbox.
at some point between my dad dropping my (money containing) christmas card in the drop box at his post office and my locking mailbox, the card disappeared.
having a locking mailbox only does so much if postal workers are dishonest.
Well now we have a helicopter hovering around the neighborhood so maybe they’re looking for someone trolling the mailboxes right now…
Is it obviously Guardian One? If not there’s a chance it’s a TV chopper following up on this, since to my knowledge thus far it’s a “slow news day” and neighborhood stories are harvested more often in those times …. TR
Mail theft is a big time problem.
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It happened to us in 2003. We found out when the bank notified us that checks had been written all over town on our account number, totaling thousands of dollars. The printed checks looked legitimate but had a different name and address and OUR routing and account numbers.
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Soon afterward we found our credit account information had been stolen as well and many fraudulent charges had been made.
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Police reports had to be filed, thousands and thousands of dollars were involved, and it took over a year to clear up the whole mess. It was a nightmare.
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It all began with the stolen mail.
We live at 40th Ave/100th St and had some outgoing mail stolen a few years ago. They washed the ink off our checks and went shopping, forging my signature. We had to close that bank account and started putting all outgoing mail in USPS boxes. Have the police attempted getting fingerprints off the stolen and discarded mail?
I have had my mail stolen many years ago. After they do whatever they do with it, they send it back to you in what looks like a clear plastic evidence bag and a short explanation.
Regarding the bus stop where the mail was found, it’s always been a haven mischief – for years. I caught the bus there for 3 years and it wasn’t uncommon to see mail, court paperwork, booze bottles, condoms, and all sorts of other undesirable stuff there. The stop is in front of a ravine where miscreants like to crash out, and it’s a stop that’s dark and offers easy foot to nearby neighborhoods. That area needs to be secured if this is going to stop.
Hmmmm….This makes me even more worried about the fact that I seem to have no mail at all (no flyers or anything) more and more often now…. I keep wondering if someone isn’t walking off with stuff. Some bills have been missing, too. This weekend – I think a locking box is my project…
I live just south of the bus stop on Ocean View Dr. Just found out that our neighbor found a medication mailer of mine in a ditch with the medication missing. Sounds like she found a bunch more of the neightbors’ mail as well.
We live on 40th between 106th and 104th and had our mail stolen yesterday. Thank you to the woman who found our empty netflix envelope on 39th and returned it to us. Its a sad day when the mail isn’t safe anymore.
In noting where these thefts have occurred,they all seem to be on or near a major street with easy access out of the area.(i.e. 35th, 106th etc.)
For those who had their mail stolen, definitely file a complaint with the USPIS and the FTC, as well as PUT A FRAUD ALERT on your accounts ASAP.
Mail identity is a huge problem, not only in West Seattle but across the country. Still, West Seattle does seem to have a big problem with it. Locking mailboxes only do so much good – they have to be SECURE locking mailboxes because most cluster boxes and residential locking boxes can be easily fished by hand or pried open with a screwdriver. Then you just think you’re safe, not worrying about picking up your mail, but really you’re just as (if not more) vulnerable than before.
There are a few high quality ones including the Fort Knox made in the USA and the Mail Boss (our company) that you can buy from your local Ace Hardware or True Value.
Junction True Value in West Seattle DOES carry the Mail Boss, including a high security WALL MOUNT option for people who have delivery to their porch.
Hope this information helps!!
To report mail theft online, use this site: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MLNtRcvd.aspx
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