subject: Locking Mailboxes Protects You From Identity Theft [print this page] Locking mailboxes are not only becoming the wave of the future, they are now expected to be installed for any new commercial, apartment and residential developments by order of federal regulations. Many people do what it takes to protect their businesses, homes or their on-line information to guard themselves from identity theft, without ever thinking twice about what a non-locking mailbox has to offer for thieves.
As more and more identity theft is being traced to the unlocked mailbox, the need for protection is crucial. The need for your mail protection had been brought to the attention of the United States Postal Service. Therefore, in October 2006, the USPS authorized the 4C and CBU mailboxes as the only models approved for all new construction or major renovation projects of commercial, apartments and new residential home tracts.
The USPS felt that these two models offered the protection needed to protect your mail and yet still offer features that differentiate between themselves. The USPS felt that the 4C mailbox suites are designed for easy use, while still meeting or exceeding all security requirements. These suites replaced the STD-4B+ and are designed to be wall-mounted that include over 80 different modules. Being this flexible allows customization for each mailbox and still meets the USPS approval.
The standard designs for all CBUs (also known as cluster box units) have been manufactured in the United States. In 2007, the USPS started to license this approved standard, forcing manufacturers to receive approval and be licensed for them to be authorized manufacturers of the CBU.
The USPS also requires that all lock designs and security feature requirements are to become more stringent than ever before. Therefore, the USPS does mandatory security testing on all 4C and CBU products. Also to note, the 4C and CBU mailboxes are not only made for the protection of your delivered mail, but they are also designed to protect your outgoing mail.
After all, leaving unguarded, outgoing mail can be just as enticing to thieves as is incoming mail. So be aware and protect yourself and your business identity from potential fraud. Regardless of what model you choose for your business or apartment complex, or your house, remember that locking mailboxes are designed with protection in mind.
In regards to most free-standing home mailboxes, the boxes are usually of the unlocking type. Therefore, you must remember that a non-locking mailbox can potentially open you and your family's personal information up to thieves. Your information sits on some form of mail that's inside your box for anyone to walk up and take.
Soon your neighbors will begin to realize this and start to change out their boxes from open and available to locking. Thus leaving your box as one of the few in your neighborhood without protection and leaving you as an easy target.
Although the USPS requires all home mailboxes to include the attached red flag, indicating outgoing mail, you may want to reconsider its use. After all, doesn't a standing red flag indicate to those passer-bys that there is outgoing mail in your box? You are advertising your own instability.
You have options that can help you overcome this issue. You can either take your outgoing mail to a mail center or post office, or simply leave outgoing mail in your box without the flag up. It is unlikely you will go a day, or two, without any mail delivered to you, therefore the postal carrier will see the outgoing mail and take it with them. Your mission is accomplished without the red flag advertisement.
The problem of mail theft has long been recognized at the federal level. Therefore prompting Senator Jon Kyl to testify in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
on Technology, Terrorism, and Government Information the following, "Mail theft is another way of obtaining identifying information. We urge people not to leave their paid bills out at the mailbox for the carrier to pick up. It's better to drop them off at the Post Office."
Therefore ask yourself, how much is a locking mailbox worth to you? Locking mailboxes can range anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars for your average single home mailbox to upward of $1,500 for clusters of boxes for apartments and commercial properties. Compare that to the thousands of dollars it can cost you if someone steals your identity, not to mention the investment of your time and efforts.
Mailboxes are designed for practicality and for beauty as an accessory to your home. Unfortunately, as the saying goes,"beauty is only in the eye of the beholder" and beauty alone can not protect you from theft. It's time for a change.
