Mail theft soars 140% in Hawai'i, officials say
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
Theft of mail from residential and post office boxes, often for the purpose of identity theft, increased 140 percent in Hawai'i during the past two fiscal years, police and U.S. Postal Service investigators said.
• Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Don't leave it in your mailbox overnight. • Don't send cash in the mail. • If you're reluctant to get a post office box, you could install a locked mailbox with a slotted delivery opening. • Give your mail to your letter carrier. • Ask your bank for "secure" checks that can't be altered. • Tell your post office when you'll be out of town, so officials can hold your mail until you return. Possible mail theft can be reported to the U.S. Postal Service at 423-3790. Source: United States Postal Inspection Service
There were 680 mail-theft complaints from October 2001 through September 2002, and 1,638 complaints during the same period in 2002-2003, said postal inspector Byron Dare. Reported losses in the first year totaled $7.79 million, but the figure dropped to $646,579 the next year despite the increase in complaints, Dare said.
Tips to prevent mail theft:
Identity theft is a growing problem in Hawai'i, said Lt. Pat Tomasu, head of the Honolulu Police Department's Financial Fraud Unit.
Police receive between 12 and 30 complaints a day for fraudulent use of credit cards, identity theft or forgery, Tomasu said. Mail theft is the primary source of personal information, such as birth dates and Social Security numbers, she said.
"They're stealing mail right out of mailboxes with the flag up," Tomasu said. "We've also had reports of people following mail trucks in cars and taking mail after it has been delivered."
According to Dare, the current hot spots on O'ahu are Kalihi, where businesses are being targeted on weekends; newer neighborhoods in Kapolei, 'Ewa Beach and Makakilo; and residences in Nanakuli, Wai'anae, Wahiawa, Kailua and Kane'ohe. On the Neighbor Islands, Upcountry Maui is a problem area.
"It's typically areas where people are gone during the day," Dare said.
To prevent mail theft, Dare advises the public not to leave outgoing mail in mailboxes with the red flag up or to leave mail in mailboxes for long periods of time, especially on weekends.
Businesses are targeted primarily for checks, which are washed with a solution and made payable to another name, Dare said.
"It's easy to do with the new software that's available," added Tomasu. "People won't know it happened until the checks are returned."
Stealing mail is an organized and sophisticated criminal activity that involves rings of up to 30 to 40 people, Dare said.
Those at the street level are usually addicts who sell or trade mail for cash or drugs, he added.
"They know what to do with it," Dare said of stolen mail.
Stolen blank checks, for example, can be fenced for $2 a check and credit cards for $100 a card, he said. Convenience checks that often accompany pre-approved credit-card offers command the highest price, Dare said.
Stolen mail is processed for information by organized groups to create a credit identity for profit.
"People in the groups have different functions," Dare said. "There's someone who knows the Internet and can apply for credit cards or a person who is computer literate who can make counterfeit checks or someone who can go to a bank and cash forged checks."
During the tax season, mail thieves will target W-2 or 1099 information or tax booklets, said Dare.
Laws make it difficult to curb mail theft. If police, for example, catch someone stealing mail, the charge is fourth-degree theft, a petty misdemeanor. A conviction usually results in a fine.
In June, Regina Kampfer of Wahiawa was indicted on 16 counts of mail fraud, identity theft and credit-card fraud, while Kim Burrows of Wai'anae was indicted on nine counts of credit-card fraud as part of the federal "Operation Mail Safe" campaign.
"It's a federal crime," Dare said, "but they want those caught with vast quantities of stolen mail."
"We can catch the little guy, but there's no real hammer or deterrent," he said.
Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.
