Sign Your Address Up For USPS Informed Delivery Before Scammers Do

[Jason]

https://lifehacker.com/sign-your-address-up-for-usps-informed-delivery-before-1830389625

[GeneticBlueprint]

Already done.

[outsida]

Been using that service since the start.

[skillzdadirecta]

How would scammers get your mail from a locked mail box?

[Jason]

4 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

How would scammers get your mail from a locked mail box?

 

Well for starters, plenty of people don't have mailboxes that lock.

[skillzdadirecta]

Just now, Jason said:

 

Well for starters, plenty of people don't have mailboxes that lock.

 

Sure in rural areas I guess... most people in apartment buildings have locked mail boxes and homeowners have mail slots where the mail is dropped directly into their houses. So these folks have nothing to worry about from these scammers? That's my question.

[Spork3245]

2 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Sure in rural areas I guess... most people in apartment buildings have locked mail boxes and homeowners have mail slots where the mail is dropped directly into their houses. So these folks have nothing to worry about from these scammers? That's my question.

 

Packages don’t fit into mail slots.

[Jason]

4 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Sure in rural areas I guess... most people in apartment buildings have locked mail boxes and homeowners have mail slots where the mail is dropped directly into their houses. So these folks have nothing to worry about from these scammers? That's my question.

 

I don't really understand where you're getting the idea that that's just a rural thing. There's plenty of suburbia where it's all unlocked curbside mailboxes.

[b_m_b_m_b_m]

I've got all packages going to the apartment management office or to a secure Amazon locker so I'll be good for now, thankfully.

[skillzdadirecta]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

 

I don't really understand where you're getting the idea that that's just a rural thing. There's plenty of suburbia where it's all unlocked curbside mailboxes.

 

I wasnt getting at anything... I was asking a legit question for god's sake. Forget it.

 

4 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Packages don’t fit into mail slots.

Good point. 

 

1 minute ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

I've got all packages going to the apartment management office or to a secure Amazon locker so I'll be good for now, thankfully.

 

I usually have the manager of my building put packages in my apartment when I'm not there. I guess it can't hurt to sign up for this.

[Remarkableriots]

1 minute ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Packages don’t fit into mail slots.

Packages at my apartment complex are left at the front desk so unlikely anybody could take them. Sundays are the only days I worry about a package being stolen because the front desk is closed but delivery people have just left packages. 

[Spork3245]

Just now, Remarkableriots said:

Packages at my apartment complex are left at the front desk so unlikely anybody could take them. Sundays are the only days I worry about a package being stolen because the front desk is closed but delivery people have just left packages. 

 

The mail slot comment is in reference to houses.

[Jason]

1 minute ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I wasnt getting at anything... I was asking a legit question for god's sake. Forget it.

 

And my answer to you is that I think you're wildly overestimating the percentage of the population that has mailboxes that lock and/or receive their mail through a mail slot in their front door.

[skillzdadirecta]

Just now, Jason said:

 

And my answer to you is that I think you're wildly overestimating the percentage of the population that has mailboxes that lock and/or receive their mail through a mail slot in their front door.

Holy shit, whether I was or wasn't isn't the point. I was asking why would someone who DOES have a locked mailbox need to do this and how would they be vulnerable to scammers stealing credit cards from mailboxes. I was legit curious if I was missing something, not trying to turn this into some kinda weird culture war. Jesus...

[Jason]

1 minute ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Holy shit, whether I was or wasn't isn't the point. I was asking why would someone who DOES have a locked mailbox need to do this and how would they be vulnerable to scammers stealing credit cards from mailboxes. I was legit curious if I was missing something, not trying to turn this into some kinda weird culture war. Jesus...

 

I thought you were trying to raise it as why this isn't as big of a deal as it seems, it wasn't super clear that you were asking if you specifically should be worried given your mail setup.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Holy shit, whether I was or wasn't isn't the point. I was asking why would someone who DOES have a locked mailbox need to do this and how would they be vulnerable to scammers stealing credit cards from mailboxes. I was legit curious if I was missing something, not trying to turn this into some kinda weird culture war. Jesus...

 

The simple answer is that the locks on your mailbox only keep honest people out. A cheap set of lock picks from eBay and a five minute YouTube tutorial will get anybody past those cam locks in 5-10 seconds and you would never know.

 

A big screwdriver will also get you in the box, but that would be pretty obvious to the victim

[skillzdadirecta]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

 

I thought you were trying to raise it as why this isn't as big of a deal as it seems, it wasn't super clear that you were asking if you specifically should be worried given your mail setup.

 

Na I was legit curious about this as myself and most people I know have secured mail in boxes.

 

Just now, sblfilms said:

 

The simple answer is that the locks on your mailbox only keep honest people out. A cheap set of lock picks from eBay and a five minute YouTube tutorial will get anybody past those cam locks in 5-10 seconds and you would never know.

 

A big screwdriver will also get you in the box, but that would be pretty obvious to the victim

 

I guess... someone would have to be really bold/desperate to try and crack the locks to our mailboxes in the lobby of our building when people are constantly coming in and out and there are you know, cameras 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I guess... someone would have to be really bold/desperate to try and crack the locks to our mailboxes in the lobby of our building when people are constantly coming in and out and there are you know, cameras 

 

Nobody would even notice. It’s very common.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

21 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Sure in rural areas I guess... most people in apartment buildings have locked mail boxes and homeowners have mail slots where the mail is dropped directly into their houses. So these folks have nothing to worry about from these scammers? That's my question.

I actually don't really see the mail slots anymore. We live in a residential area within the city limits, basically the suburbs, and every house has a regular old mailbox. 

 

My in-laws live in a really small town, but the houses arranged like any other neighborhood close together and they don't have mail slots on their doors, they just have little boxes outside the front door for mail to go into.

 

Pretty sure the only time I've ever seen a mail slot is on TV and movies.  

[skillzdadirecta]

2 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

 

Nobody would even notice. It’s very common.

 

Where? I'm not saying that it doesn't happen but mail theft, at least in my building is virtually unheard of. Now laundry theft is a different matter.

 

2 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I actually don't really see the mail slots anymore. We live in a residential area within the city limits, basically the suburbs, and every house has a regular old mailbox. 

 

My in-laws live in a really small town, but the houses arranged like any other neighborhood close together and they don't have mail slots on their doors, they just have little boxes outside the front door for mail to go into.

 

Pretty sure the only time I've ever seen a mail slot is on TV and movies.  

 

That's funny because I could literally say the same thing about those mail boxes that sit out in front of the house that you raise the little arm up to indicate mail is there. I know they exist for real but I've rarely seen them in real life.

[Ghost_MH]

8 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Na I was legit curious about this as myself and most people I know have secured mail in boxes.

 

 

I guess... someone would have to be really bold/desperate to try and crack the locks to our mailboxes in the lobby of our building when people are constantly coming in and out and there are you know, cameras 

 

Nope, the way you do it is to time your entry to have you coincidentally run into the mail carrier. All those mailboxes are popped open and most carriers aren't going to question you on whether or not you're poking around your mailbox and not somebody else's. I live in a building with a locked mailroom just off the lobby. I've happened on the carrier a few times and just asked him for my mail. I'm not getting IDed or anything when he just hands the mail over to me.

 

This is WAY easier to do than most people would imagine.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

1 minute ago, skillzdadirecta said:

That's funny because I could literally say the same thing about those mail boxes that sit out in front of the house that you raise the little arm up to indicate mail is there. I know they exist for real but I've rarely seen them in real life.

Weird. I live in a pretty large subdivision in a decent sized city and everyone here just has a mailbox. 

 

Maybe it's different in giant city, like NYC or whatever, but I definitely don't live in rural area anymore. If all you have is a mail slot, you don't have an easy way to send off your mail. I know there are drop boxes, but I'd had to drive to the nearest one every time I wanted to mail a simple envelope.

 

I guess your original comment just came off as strange to me that you thought everyone had a mail slot.  

[skillzdadirecta]

5 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

Weird. I live in a pretty large subdivision in a decent sized city and everyone here just has a mailbox. 

 

Maybe it's different in giant city, like NYC or whatever, but I definitely don't live in rural area anymore. If all you have is a mail slot, you don't have an easy way to send off your mail. I know there are drop boxes, but I'd had to drive to the nearest one every time I wanted to mail a simple envelope.

 

I guess your original comment just came off as strange to me that you thought everyone had a mail slot.  

 

You don't have to drive to them in the city... their like on almost every corner in big cities. In my building we have an outgoing mail slot where you drop mail that you want to send. Most buildings have this.

 

[Ghost_MH]

9 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I actually don't really see the mail slots anymore. We live in a residential area within the city limits, basically the suburbs, and every house has a regular old mailbox. 

 

My in-laws live in a really small town, but the houses arranged like any other neighborhood close together and they don't have mail slots on their doors, they just have little boxes outside the front door for mail to go into.

 

Pretty sure the only time I've ever seen a mail slot is on TV and movies.  

 

I had a mail slot once...a long time ago.

 

As far as mailboxes go, you're very much going to find outdoor, non-locking mailboxes on the outside of apartment buildings in your favorite crappy apartment building in the middle your average ghetto slum. I had one of those too. It was fun when my mother would send you down in the middle of the winter to check the mail. Sure, the box was right outside the door, on the stoop, but the trip was so short putting on a coat felt dumb so those five freezing seconds felt like five shivering hours.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

Just now, skillzdadirecta said:

 

You don't have to drive to them in the city... their like on almost every corner in big cities. In my building we have an outgoing mail slot where you drop mail that you want to send. Most buildings have this.

I'm talking about people who don't live in apartments and buildings in the heart of a city. 

 

I live in a city, but I Iive in a totally residential area, nothing but homeowners. We don't have drop boxes. You do realize a ton of people live in suburban areas, right?

[CastlevaniaNut18]

1 minute ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

I had a mail slot once...a long time ago.

 

As far as mailboxes go, you're very much going to find outdoor, non-locking mailboxes on the outside of apartment buildings in your favorite crappy apartment building in the middle your average ghetto slum. I had one of those too. It was fun when my mother would send you down in the middle of the winter to check the mail. Sure, the box was right outside the door, on the stoop, but the trip was so short putting on a coat felt dumb so those five freezing seconds felt like five shivering hours.

Ah, I think I've seen what you're talking about. My aunt lives in some HUD apartments in a smaller city(about 75k people) and they're decent, but each building just has a line of unlocked regular mailboxes outside. 

 

I've lived in two apartments in two cities and we actually had locked mailboxes on each building. Packages at the last one I lived at would be handed to the front office if you weren't present to receive it at the door. 

[Jason]

24 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

You don't have to drive to them in the city... their like on almost every corner in big cities. In my building we have an outgoing mail slot where you drop mail that you want to send. Most buildings have this.

 

 

In NYC those mail chutes carry a high risk of your envelope getting stuck in the chute.

[TheBladeRoden]

I've been waiting for an envelope of gift cards for 3 weeks now. I wonder if this will help determine its fate.

[Keyser_Soze]

Where I used to live I had a mailboxish type thing I eventually had to put Velcro on the door to prevent it from opening. Packages would go on the porch.

 

I moved and they have those communal lock boxes but packages are left in front of the door, packages delivered by USPS will go in the lockbox with a special key they put in your box.