The Morongo Basin has experienced a high number of mail thefts in the past few months. Thieves have been stealing mail out of individual mail boxes, out of blue mail collection boxes at post offices, and out of community mail boxes in various neighborhoods around the Morongo Basin, and opening fraudulent bank and credit card accounts with stolen information. Sometime Sunday, the back of a community mail box at Aberdeen and Yucca Mesa Road was pried open and the mail inside was stolen. According to a US Postal Service spokeswoman, mail theft is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Anyone who has been a victim of mail theft is urged to file a report at their local post office, or call 877-876-2455. If you see suspicious activity around mail boxes or Post Offices, call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175 followed by a call to the Postal Inspection Service.
