Many people who use an outside mailbox are finding out the hard way just what can happen if your mail is stolen. If someone takes your mail, you have no idea what kind of information they now have about you. It may be enough information to open accounts in your name and rack up thousands of dollars in credit card charges. Sadly, mail theft is a crime that is difficult to detect and the theft of personal checks from residential mailboxes has become a serious problem.

There are a couple of ways to stop mail theft. The first is to mail your bills at the post office. Don’t put your mail in the mailbox and put up the little red flag.  All you are doing when you raise the red flag is raising the red flag to a thief to alert them to the possibility of a check in the mail box.

Next, you should get rid of all of your paper and mail-based banking and credit transactions. Choose the online option and you will not only save trees but possibly your good name. If there is no sensitive information in your mailbox, then an identity thief can’t steal something he could use.

Make it a habit to pick up your mail each time you come home and have a neighbor, one that you trust, remove your mail when you are gone for a couple of days or alert the post office. The post office can have your mail kept at the main office until you return from your trip.

If you suspect your mail has been stolen, do a free credit check and see if anyone has opened up any accounts in your name.