Quote:
Originally Posted by Esel Mann
Postal mail public service announcement......
First, there is a service the USPS is offering where you can see your mail before it's even delivered. I highly recommend people take a moment and create an account with the USPS. Why? Certain enterprising individuals have picked up on not many folks having such an account. So what do they do? Posing as you they sign up and then sign up for the informed delivery service. Walla now they can monitor your mail and get a heads up when there is any mail of *coughe* interest. However if one takes the time to create an account with the USPS (even if there is no intention of using it), it is much more difficult for the enterprising individuals to then hijack your account and set up snooping on your incoming mail.
Another nicety with an USPS account, one can automagically arrange to have mail held while out of town and then delivered upon your return. No need to go into the post office to set up or collect held mail upon return.
Second, when it comes to actually mailing something, especially anything check/payment related. Those convenient blue boxes (even the ones right outside the post office building) are toast. Being federal property doesn't deter the enterprising individual. The safest way of course to mail is to go to the counter. That however sux because the only people that go to the counter are people with problems or people looking simply for someone to tell their life story to. So your wait time may exceed your level of patience. The next best way is to take note of your post office's inside (not outside) drop box collection hours. Only mail there and only do so before last collection of the day. There is never a line/wait and being not only inside the post office but inside the actual processing area it is the least likely to be eff'd with.
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This is really good advice. Also, any paper check that I mail these days, (rare occurrence), I send Priority Mail w tracking and do it at the counter inside the PO. I put the plain envelope inside of their larger Priority envelope and pay the $8.00, or whatever it is these days. The peace of mind and security is worth it...I've never had one fail to arrive at its destination.
Check fraud as described earlier in this thread is as old as checks, nothing new fangled or high tech about it. I think that cave men were washing checks and cashing them. I once had a detective tell me that check fraud is a lot smarter crime than bank robbery, much bigger potential returns and a lot shorter prison sentence if caught. Take that FWIW.