Warning: Do Not Use Blue USPS Mailboxes In New York

With the holidays coming up, many people will be mailing gifts to friends and family in and outside of New York. Unfortunately, the holidays are also when thieves and scammers get busy. A person has to be a special type of evil to intentionally ruin the holidays.

Due to the increase in scams and thefts during the holiday season the United States Postal Service has issued some warnings for customers who may use their iconic blue mailboxes.

In addition to stealing packages, thieves are stealing mail from blue mailboxes to look for mail that may contain cash, but your checks may not be safe either. The USPS warns of 'check washing' which involves a scammer stealing your checks and using chemicals to remove the original ink. They then re-write the checks using their information and draw higher amounts of money with the checks.

Credit: US Postal Inspection Service via Youtube

Tips To Keep Your Mail Safe

- Don't drop mail in a blue mailbox after the posted mail pick-up time
- Deposit mail in a blue box right before the last collection time
- Drop off mail that includes checks into a secure box at your local post office
- Do not mail cash

One thing we know for sure is that scammers will work hard to not work hard. They will spend an extreme amount of effort and energy on stealing from hard-working New Yorkers. Hopefully, the tips from the USPS above will help you avoid being a victim this holiday season.