Keeping your mail safe as the holiday season brings rise in mail thefts

The United States Postal Service says it's that time of the year again: a rise in mail thefts as the holidays get closer.

The United States Postal Inspection Service, which handles mail security, says that it arrests thousands each year for mail theft.

"November, December, are the busier months for the postal service. So you — conventional wisdom will tell you that if there's more mail and parcels being delivered, that's a more attractive target for thieves," explains Lucas Watanabe, a Postal Inspector and Public Information Officer for the agency.

He urges the public to empty your mailbox everyday and quickly pick up packages from their front doors to limit the risk of losing valuable items.

And if you're going to be away from home this holiday season, Watanabe says you can take steps to make sure your mail ends up in the right place when you return.

"If you have a trusted neighbor that you can rely on to claim your mail for you so that it's not sitting in your mailbox," Watanabe suggests. Alternatively, he says, "You [could] set up an account with USPS and then you tell them the dates that you're going to be away. The letter carrier will actually hold the mail at the [post office] until the date that you designate on your return. They'll then deliver all that mail in a single bundle."

An even more secure option, Watanabe says, is to ask for that mail to be pick-up only – meaning only you can pick it up from the post office when you return.

In addition to these suggestions, the agency lists several other ways to keep your mail safe on its website.

There are other resources you can take advantage of, too, including how to recognize scams, like fake text messages.