Mailboxes Broken Into In Front Of Lemont Annex Post Office

LEMONT, IL — Mailboxes in front of the Lemont Post Office on 127th Street were broken into between Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, according to a post on Lemont Police Department's Facebook.

According to police, people who sent mail through these boxes have had checks altered and cashed. If you sent a check during around Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, check your bank account for fraudulent activity.

Police also advised stopping payments on checks if they were deposited into those mailboxes during that time.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said it is aware of the incident and is investigating with Lemont Police.

The service also gave some tips for customers to take to protect their mail and identity:

• Do not let incoming or outgoing mail sit and accumulate in your mailbox.
• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you’re expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items.
• If you do not receive a check or other valuable mail, contact the issuing party as soon as possible.
• Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to have a better idea of what mail you can expect delivered to you each day.
• Drop outgoing mail into a USPS collection box prior to the last daily pickup time listed on the box. Otherwise, mail it inside your local Post Office.
• Monitor your financial accounts and credit profiles for any fraudulent activity, even if you are not a victim of mail theft. In that vein, consider credit freezes with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax).

If a postal customer does fall victim to mail theft, or identity theft as a result of mail theft, they should immediately file a report with local law enforcement, file a report with the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455, and closely monitor their financial accounts and credit profiles to get ahead of any fraudulent activity, the service said.