Sheriff’s deputies are investigating at least one case of stolen mail that included the discarding of election ballots. About 8 a.m. Wednesday, a resident contacted the Sheriff’s Department to report he had found mail discarded in the 65000 block of Winters Road in Joshua Tree, and that some of the discarded mail included ballots for voting in the upcoming election. Deputies found additional discarded mail in the 6500 block of Encelia Avenue in Twentynine Palms. All the recovered mail was found to have been stolen from a cluster of mailboxes in the 56200 block of Reche Road in Landers. Deputies returned the recovered mail to the postmaster for re-delivery. Based on their investigation, deputies believe thieves were targeting incoming mail, looking for personal information to commit identity theft and fraud. Deputies do not believe the thieves were specifically targeting the election ballots. The U.S. Postal Inspector will continue the investigation into the thefts.
The Sheriff’s Department encourages residents to monitor their mailboxes and report any suspicious behavior. Reporter Andrew Dieleman offers these tips on ways to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of mail theft…The United States Postal Inspector recommends the following tips to lower the chances that you will become a victim:
- Retrieve your mail as soon as possible after it is delivered. Don’t leave your mail unattended for extended periods, and don’t leave it in your mailbox overnight.
- If you cannot regularly retrieve your mail promptly, consider installing a lockable mailbox or obtaining a P.O. Box service from your local post office.
- If you are away from home temporarily, ask your post office to hold your mail until your return.
- Always deposit your mail in a mail slot at your local post office, or hand it to your letter carrier.
- Monitor your bank account statements regularly and report any charges or checks you did not authorize.
- Monitor your credit report and report any accounts you did not authorize.
- Ask your bank for “secure” checks that can’t be altered.
