Locking mailbox insert to prevent ID theft

Hi,

To prevent ID theft, I've tried to order a mailbox locking insert, which would be installed in the Broadlands-regulation mailbox. (The idea is that the mail carrier would place the mail in the slot and it would drop down into a locked compartment. The mail carrier would not need a key.) However, I've had trouble finding a compatible insert. Whitehall makes a sturdy insert, but it is too large for our mailboxes. Other brands of inserts fit but were flimsy and didn't seem secure. I requested permission from the HOA to install a different mailbox altogether, which was the same color as our existing ones but a different shape. The HOA declined. Does anyone else out there have concerns about having the ability to have a locking mailbox? Or if you have found a solution, please let me know.

Thanks,
Lori

 

there are actually inserts that fit our mailbox. I too looked into it. Where do you live, our section of the Broadlands has what looks like to be standard size mailboxes. maybe ours are bigger

 

We have the green mailboxes in Overland Park. The Whitehall insert we tried seemed very sturdy, but was a little too big. The Special Lite insert seemed flimsy and the frame on it was even already bent when it arrived from the company, so we returned it. Our mailbox is about 7.5 inches wide, 20.75 inches long, and 9.25 high.

Thanks,
Lori

 

I'm still shaking my head that you were declined because it was a different shape.

Even the mailboxes have to look EXACTLY the same? really sad....

 

Its one of the things you accept when you buy into a planned community/HOA. Otherwise you could have a different mailbox/house color/junk car on lawn every other house.

 

Ok, first, you live in Pittsburgh and spend your time reading and responding to Broadland's community forums. You might want to reflect on your life choices there.

Second, you are actually comparing a different style mailbox to a junk car on the lawn? Seriously? Those are equal comparisons?

I've lived in plenty of HOA communities. They were never this strict about the mailbox. In fact, my last neighbor had one of those ugly wooden chicken mailboxes.
It might come as a shock to you, but my property value didn't drop because of the neighbors mailbox. Surprisingly, it didn't even come up at closing from the buyers. Weird, isn't it?

I mean, after the different mailbox, the obvious next step is the car on blocks in the front lawn.

 

One of the great things about being in an HOA is the home owners have a say in these matters. I'd suggest going to one of the HOA meetings and bring it up. Who knows, you might just get it changed.

 

wait... I can't park a broken down car in my yard?

 

I guess it has to do with the fact that if you get a bigger mailbox you may be able to fit your junk car in it?.?.?

 

Maybe Broadlands could select an acceptable locking mailbox and offer residents a choice of having either the current mailbox or a locking one that has been specifically approved by the HOA? This is the one I wanted to get (but without the newspaper box and with the same white post that we currently have). It's the right size and color, but definitely a different shape. I also found another locking mailbox that is the right shape ... but is black. I wonder if I could spray paint it?

Locking Mailbox

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One of the great things about being in an HOA is the home owners have a say in these matters.

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We do?

 

Yes. Homeowners sit on the all the boards.

 

I'd like to think that a matter of security would have preference over a matter of aesthetics. The HOA should look into this and provide a set of acceptable alternatives. I for one have not looked into this but I think it's a great idea to be able to protect myself against identity theft even it affects the look of the mailbox.

I agree with skubs that there is no reasonable leap from a different mailbox to widespread aesthetic anarchy. There needs to be some common sense inserted into this and some concern for security.

 

I mean, think about it ... if you were a criminal intent on stealing someone's credit card/ box of checks/ bank account number/ identity, wouldn't it be easy to walk through a neighborhood, open the unlocked mailboxes and take the mail out? I imagine criminals would rather do that than hunt through trash bins on trash night.

 

Yes, it would be easy - but think about what's in your mailbox. Yes, checks, credit card statements...a crook could take those and use your checks and credit card account - stealing your money. But to really steal your identity, they've got to get more personal information - say your birthdate, your SSN...etc

Certainly, if you want to protect yourself, you can lock up your incoming USPS mail. But think about ways, too, to eliminate that mail - locks just keep honest people honest. Consider online bill pay, email delivery of your credit card and investment statements. Monitor your accounts for unauthorized activity. Streamline your accounts (close ones you don't really need). Shred, shred, shred!

Some interesting info from Javelin Research:

ID-theft risks misunderstood by consumers

“Identity theft is the most misunderstood fraud,” said James Van Dyke, president and founder of Javelin Strategy & Research. The per capita incidence of fraud has actually dipped, yet consumer anxiety has risen, with 77 percent of respondents in a recent survey stating they believe ID theft is on the rise, said Van Dyke, who cited several persistent myths:

• The elderly as victims. Seniors are less likely to be victimized compared with the general population, while young adults are twice as likely. People from 18 to 24 tend not to shred documents containing personal information or protect their computers.

• Crimes by strangers. Contrary to popular belief, most ID thefts are committed by friends, relatives or others in close contact with victims.

• ID thefts and the Web. Although many people view the Internet as unsafe, most scams involve stolen paper mail or lost or stolen wallets, checkbooks and credit cards. Insecure mailboxes also make people vulnerable, he said.

Full Article
http://www.javelinstrategy.com/2007/05/09/id-theft-risks-misunderstood-by-consumers/#more-719

And, of course, I can't help but include this plug for info from my agency:

Minimize your risk:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/deter.html

 

Well, if you notice at my 'signature' I was very involved in the Broadlands for the time I lived there. My move to Pittsburgh was so that my wife could pursue some post-grad studies, if we were able to do this in NoVA we'd still be there.

OK ... perhaps an extreme case, but then many times a 'small' change in the guidelines had unintended consequences. However, I always thought that the newer mailboxes installed in Southern Walk should have been used throughout Broadlands. I believe that model could be found with a lock.