"A suspect was arrested in connection with the incident, the mayor said. ...Authorities have made an arrest have a number of ballots were damaged when a United States Post Office collection mailbox was lit on fire in Phoenix, police said.
An individual lit a fire inside a drive-up collection mailbox at a USPS station..."
"...Thefts have taken place at several mailboxes, including one in front of the Main Street post office. "We have eight to 10 cases we know of so far," Police Chief Thomas Lynch said. "They're (reports) still coming in." The thefts are due to a postal employee's key to the boxes being stolen during a robbery, police said...."
"...15 people are charged in a scheme that involved stealing mail keys and recruiting people to launder money, prosecutors say...."
"U.S. Postal Inspector Patricia Mendoza said on Tuesday that an investigation is underway on the sticky substance that had been applied to the inside of the mail collection boxes. When mail cannot fully drop inside the box it could potentially be pulled back out by those wanting to steal mail, authorities have said. ..."
"USPS will use 49,000 electronic locks to replace antiquated arrow and modified arrow lock keys, which criminals use to steal mail from secure mail receptacles to commit financial crimes, including altering checks to commit fraud.
• Preventing change-of-address fraud. In April, USPS implemented dual-authentication identity verification for online transactions and, effective May 31, the organization will offer enhanced in-person change-of-address transactions at Post Offices and retail outlets.
• Defeating counterfeit postage. USPS will fully exercise new authority to take possession and dispose of packages identified with counterfeit postage. ..."
"...Recently, four North Little Rock residents were charged by complaint in federal court with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and with mail theft following sting operations involving several Post Office collection boxes. Three of those people, Javion Trevon Dozier, 19, Gilpre Flowers, 23, and Jamoun Young, 23, were arrested Feb. 20 and were released following an initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge. Officials said they are still searching for a fourth person, whose name has not been released. Federal authorities said the investigation began last spring when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Little Rock Police Department began receiving complaints from individuals and businesses in Central Arkansas that their mail was being stolen. Authorities received reports that checks were being altered as well as reports that counterfeit checks using legitimate account and routing numbers were being produced and cashed. ..."
"...The U.S. Postal Service is retrofitting its boxes with slots instead of pull-down "snorkels" in an attempt to thwart folks who "fish" for cash or checks in the mail..."
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| Photo Courtesy of Etsy |
To this day, you still hear customers grumbling during 'after hours' stops to local Post Office lobbies, complaining about the absence of a stamp vending machine. Many are actually angry that when at the spur of the moment they want to make a quick run to the local Post Office after hours to mail a quick letter or birthday card only to find they now have to go to a 'convenience store' to buy a book of stamps, stand in line, fight the traffic, only to have to return to the Post Office to mail the letter because the Postal Service has not only removed the stamp machines, but have also removed the majority of the freestanding blue boxes where people could quickly mail letters. As one customer remarked, "It's like the U.S. Postal Service is purposely attempting to anger us so we become frustrated with the lack of convenience so that we are forced to turn to private retail businesses to pick up a stamp. It just seems the Postal Service should now be called the U.S. Postal Disservice! Why would a business want to turn customers away from a business model that worked so well at one time and is still needed and desired just as much today? It just doesn't make sense."
This Article is From: The Postal Newsgroup
"...We have seen window clerk staff reductions, a loss of many blue collection boxes for the customer, earlier cutoff times for mail pickup and later box-mail commitments from the service. All of these are service reductions, and expect more...."
"...The following locations will guarantee an April 15th postmark on mail dropped in the lobby drops or the blue collection boxes in the parking lots until midnight Wednesday..."
