Heidi Franco was expecting a $500 check in the mail in February. When it never arrived, she did some digging to find out what happened. Turns out, someone else spent her money.
“Somebody had broken into my mailbox and took the check, washed the check, changed the name to their name, and then cashed it at a local casino,” she told 2 News Nevada on Wednesday.
Franco isn’t the only South Reno resident reporting mail theft. Some have taken to social media saying a thief is on the loose with a stolen key. USPS disagrees.
“We have a rigorous accountability process and can account for all keys in Reno,” USPS communications specialist Rod Spurgeon wrote in an email statement.
A CBS investigation released this week found the opposite. Nationwide, USPS has not secured the universal keys that open mailboxes.
In light of those findings, residents like Franco are having to find ways to protect their personal property and identity.
- If you’re out of town or have a valuable package coming, you can put your mail on hold at a USPS branch. The postal service will keep it at your local post office until you have the opportunity to pick it up yourself.
- To get updates on what mail is en route to you, visit informeddelivery.usps.com. USPS will send you daily emails with a list of the mail you should find in your mailbox.
- If you are a victim of mail theft, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov.
