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January 20, 2012 Peachland, BC Volume 08 | Number 3
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Identity thieves targeting Trepanier area mailboxes by Dave Preston Peachland’s postmaster is warning residents to be vigilant with their mail after a series of mail box break-ins over the past month. Debbie Powell said community mailboxes in the Trepanier area of Peachland have been repeatedly broken into since the middle of December. Powell said mailboxes are being pried open, the locks broken in the process. Last Wednesday morning, Trepanier Road resident Helmut Thiesmann was driving his school bus past a series of mailboxes at the corner of MacKinnon and Cousins Roads when he noticed five boxes had been broken into. One of the boxes was his own. “Some of our mail was taken,” said Thiesmann. “For some reason I got it back.” Thiesmann said whoever broke into the mailboxes went through his mail and then threw it back into someone else’s box. In addition to the mailboxes, the thieves last Wednesday broke into the mail slot, which is used by residents to send mail. Powell said she has had to replace the locks on a number of mailboxes in the Trepanier area, including several at a community mailbox station at the intersection of Trepanier Road and Hwy. 97. The break-ins seem quite random, according to Powell, who noted several boxes that were broken into were not in service at the time and empty. The vandalism and theft of mail is taking place at night, according to Powell, who has notified the corporate security section of Canada Post and the RCMP. Powell said the thieves are almost certainly involved in identity theft, looking for pieces of mail with credit card numbers and other personal information. Canada Post advises that identity theft is a growing crime in Canada and involves someone stealing another person’s name and other
Crystal Spaeth delivers mail on Sixth Street Wednesday afternoon. Mailboxes on her route have been broken into in recent weeks. Dave Preston photo
personal information with the intention of assuming the person’s identity to gain access to their finances, make purchases and incur debts in their name. “In addition to names, address and phone numbers, thieves steal social insurance numbers, driver’s license numbers, credit card and banking information, bank cards, calling cards, birth certificates and passports,” states Canada Post’s identity theft web page. “Once this information is stolen, it can be used to finance spending sprees
and open new bank accounts, or to redirect your mail and apply for loans, credit cards and social benefits.” Residents can help protect themselves by checking their mailboxes daily, according to Powell. Anyone who finds a mailbox broken into should contact Canada Post at Peachland Centre Mall. Tampering with mail is an indictable offence in Canada and carries a maximum 10 year prison sentence.
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