Mail theft can be a problem in many rural areas – but there are a few easy ways to make sure the mail gets into your hands after its delivered to your mailbox.
If you are planning on going out of town or can’t pick up your mail for a few days, the USPS has a free mail hold service that you can easily setup online – mail will be either be held at the post office to pick up at a later date, or you can choose to have it all delivered to your home once you return.
The United States Postal Service also has a free mail preview tool, which emails you a scan of what is being delivered daily so you can know what to expect when your carrier arrives.
Reducing the amount of mail you receive is another easy way to make sure that mail thieves aren’t getting a hold of personal information – most utilities and companies now have paperless billing which has the added benefit of reducing paper waste. While your at it – you can sign up for the FTC’s Stop Junk Mail program, which also cuts down on the amount of useless mail that gets delivered to your mailbox.
If you are expecting packages from companies such as UPS, FedEx or DHL – you can sign up for text alerts and schedule the deliveries for the times when you are home.
