Mailbox Rental Services: A Key to Home Security

Do you want to protect your mail from thieves and porch pirates?

Mail theft has now reached epidemic proportions and is a problem that every homeowner needs to take seriously. In 2024 alone, more than 58 million Americans reported stolen packages. The total cost of these thefts is a whopping $13 billion. Yes, you read that right.

The good news is that with the right mailbox security solution, you can protect both your sensitive personal information as well as your valuable deliveries from identity thieves that might want to steal your identity.

In this article, we’ll show you:

• Why Mail Theft Is on the Rise
• Why Mailbox Rental Services are Worthwhile
• How Mailbox Rentals Keep Your Home Safe
• How to Choose the Right Service

Why Mail Theft Is on the Rise

Mail theft is no longer an inconvenience or an annoyance – it is a major security concern.

Just think about the stuff that you receive in your mailbox each and every week. Financial information such as bank statements, credit card offers, and tax documents. Prescription medications. Packages. Your unattended mailbox is basically a honeypot for porch pirates and identity thieves.

The stats are really starting to back this up too. Porch piracy has now cost consumers $37B this year according to some reports, and it’s one of the fastest growing property crimes in the United States.

The problem:

The majority of home mailbox units offer virtually no protection whatsoever. A thief can drive up, open the box, grab your mail, and drive off in the matter of seconds. They don’t even have to get out of their car in most instances.

This is why so many homeowners are now turning to professional solutions, such as mailbox rental near me services that offer a secure storage facility that will keep your mail safe until you are able to collect it.

Benefits of Mailbox Rental Services

Mailbox rental services offer a number of benefits to homeowners that are looking to add an additional level of protection for their deliveries. If you haven’t considered mailbox rentals before, here are 3 reasons to do so.

Protection from Identity Theft

Identity theft is the absolute worst thing to think about when you are putting your trust in someone to transport and store your mail.

Identity thieves that steal your mail aren’t just looking for your packages. They are looking for your personal information, which they can then use to open up credit cards in your name, take out loans, and commit all kinds of financial fraud.

Some of the things that they will be after include:

• Social Security numbers
• Bank account statements
• Pre-approved credit offers
• Medical records
• Tax documents

A mailbox rental service keeps all of these types of sensitive information safe and secure in a locked facility. Only you have access to it, and only you are able to retrieve it.

Package Security 24/7

Another great benefit of mailbox rentals is that they will provide you with 24/7 package security.

Packages are one of the most commonly stolen items in mailboxes, and you never know how long that Amazon box will sit on your porch before someone helps themselves to it.

With a mailbox rental, those packages go to a secure facility, meaning there is no need to rush home from work each and every day hoping that your delivery hasn’t gone missing.

The fact that so many people are now buying more expensive items online rather than in person makes this type of protection even more important than it was in the past.

Privacy and Professionalism

Mailbox rentals also provide you with a real street address rather than a P.O. Box number.

Why does this matter?

• Some companies won’t ship to P.O. Boxes
• It adds a level of professionalism and credibility if you work from home
• It keeps your home address private from those you purchase items from online

Is a win-win-win.

How Mailbox Rentals Protect Your Home

Mailbox rentals aren’t just about keeping your mail safe. It is also an important part of your overall home security plan.

Here’s why: By moving your mail to a secure rental facility instead of to your home mailbox, you are taking away the criminals’ easiest opportunity to access your personal information. They can’t fish through your letters. They can’t steal your checks, and they can’t grab your packages off your porch.

Think about it for a minute:

If the crooks can’t get to your mail, then they can’t commit mail fraud against you. Simple as that.

The Mail Fraud Epidemic

One of the most dangerous types of mail theft is check fraud.

Criminals steal checks out of mailboxes, then use chemicals to “wash” away the ink. They rewrite the check to themselves for a larger amount and then cash it.

This type of fraud has been absolutely exploding since the start of the pandemic. The USPS has seen a sharp increase in reported cases, and the financial losses to victims are astronomical.

By using a mailbox rental, this entire risk is eliminated since your outgoing mail will never sit unattended.

Vacation and Travel Protection

Vacation and travel protection is another great reason to sign up for mailbox rentals.

An unattended mailbox is one of the biggest “nobody’s home” signs that a burglar is looking for when they are casing a neighborhood.

Mail piling up is right up there with pets sitting in the yard and newspaper deliveries as a sure sign that nobody is home. The criminals know this, which is why they love to target homes when everyone is on vacation or out of town.

With a mailbox rental service, you can have your mail pile up without worry at a secure facility. Some companies even offer:

• Mail scanning and digital viewing
• Package forwarding to your vacation spot
• Notifications when important items are received

Vacation with complete peace of mind and no worries about what is happening at home.

Choosing the Right Service

There are many mailbox rental services out there and not all of them are created equal. Here are some things to consider when making your selection.

Location and Accessibility

There is no point in having a mailbox rental that is miles away from where you live or work.

Make sure that the provider that you are considering offers:

• Multiple convenient locations
• Extended hours for pickup
• Easy parking and access

Security Features

Look for a facility that has invested in security measures to keep your mail safe.

This means things like:

• Surveillance cameras
• Secure access systems
• Professional staff who will check identification before releasing mail

Additional Services

Many mailbox rental companies offer additional services that can make your life a lot easier.

These include:

• Accepting packages from all carriers
• Mail forwarding services
• Digital notifications and alerts
• Virtual mailbox access

Consider the features that are most important to you and use those as part of your decision-making process.

Wrapping it Up

Mail theft isn’t going to be going away any time soon. In fact, it is only going to continue to get worse each and every year as criminals get smarter and more brazen in their attempts to steal your stuff.

Protecting your mail is important, and a mailbox rental is a proven solution that will get rid of the vulnerabilities of traditional home mailbox units.

Just to recap:

• Mail theft is now a major security issue
• Traditional mailboxes offer almost no security
• Rental services offer secure, 24/7 storage
• There are also additional benefits, such as privacy and professionalism
• Choose a service based on location, security features, and the additional features that it provides

This is one home security investment that will easily pay for itself if it prevents just one single case of mail theft or identity fraud. The peace of mind alone is well worth it.