Surging Mail Theft In Queens Puts Locals At Risk, U.S. Rep Says

QUEENS, NY — Mail is being stolen out of collection boxes across central and northeast Queens, putting locals at-risk of identity and financial theft, according to an area representative.

In a letter to Frank Calabrese, the United States Postal Service district manager overseeing Queens, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng said the "surge of mail theft" is stemming from people breaking into relay mailboxes— dark green receptacles carriers use for storage, which require a key to open in lieu of a mail slot.

"These boxes can store thousands of letters at a time and are vulnerable to break-ins," Meng wrote in the letter sent Thursday.

"As you know, mail theft is a crime with serious consequences. Identities can be stolen, money removed from bank accounts, sensitive documents obtained, and more. Having just one letter stolen can have lasting effects on a victim," she wrote, noting that seniors are among the most at-risk.

The USPS did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

Meng called on the agency to improve the security of relay boxes and work alongside law enforcement — efforts it undertook to combat mail fishing schemes, another kind of mail theft where people fish letters out of collection box slots in the hopes that they include money or financial information.

In 2018, after a string of mail fishing schemes came to a head in Queens, the USPS retrofitted thousands of borough-wide boxes with anti-theft devices at Meng's urging.

With the help of law enforcement agencies, people involved in mail fishing schemes were also prosecuted.

"I know the improvements needed to make these relay boxes secure are in the Postal Service’s abilities," Meng said in a statement Thursday.

"Now, all that is left to do is to implement the required security."