The holiday season brings gift cards, cash, packages, and other valuables to people’s mailboxes. Unfortunately that also brings mail thieves.
Deborah Janecek of the Eugene Police Department says reports of stolen cards and gifts go up during the Hannukah and Christmas seasons. She says arranging for signatures upon receipt is one way to avoid theft. So is checking your box immediately after the postal carrier leaves.
“If you are going to be traveling it is really important that you stop your mail," adds Janecek. "That’s something that a thief is going to look for, if mail is piling up in your mailbox…that might be something that would have them consider maybe looking into what’s going on in your home. So you always want to just hold that mail and paper if you’ll be traveling.”
Janecek says if you see someone stealing mail, to get a description and call the police. Don’t confront the thief.
Mail theft in Oregon is a Class C felony, which can bring up to five years behind bars.
Copyright 2017, KLCC.
