MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — If you live on Marco Island, keep a closer eye on your mail as the police department there investigates a string of thefts right out of mailboxes in front of homes.
The police also the thieves could be targeting mail so they can also steal your identity.
“It’s been going on past couple weeks,” Capt. Rich Stoltenborg of the Marco Island Police Department said. “We’ve had several mail thefts from residential mail boxes. They’re stealing some mail, and we want the residents to be vigilant out there.”
This week the Marco Island Police Department put out a warning on its social media about the mail theft. Stoltenborg said the crimes could lead to much more than just a few lost letters.
“We believe … they’re applying for false credit cards in those peoples’ names,”Stoltenborg said. “Then they’ll return to the site and steal the mail again with the credit card that’s in the mail box.”
Trudy, who did not wish to give her last name, has been a seasonal resident on Marco for 30 years. She said she keeps a Post Office box, rather than having mail delivered to her home, to prevent these kinds of thefts.
“Because I travel back and forth from north to south, I’ve found over the years that a P.O. box is the way to go,” she said.
Marco resident Janet Stapleton said she’s gone paperless to avoid having any sensitive information delivered to her mail box.
“I try to keep as many financial documents totally out of the mail system as I can,” Stapleton said. “I also have a shredder, and I shred anything that comes in that has anything to do with finances.”
For now, the police are asking residents to keep a close watch on their mail.
“If you’re home and you know what time your mail is usually delivered, keep an eye on it,” Stoltenborg said. “Look for any suspicious vehicles following mail trucks. If you see something, report it.”
The Marco Police are working with the United States Postal Service to solve these crimes. The Postal Inspection Service told us this remains an open investigation, and they’re working hard to identify the individuals involved.
