Morristown police: Postal boxes vandalized; check your accounts, beware of scams

Morristown postal boxes were vandalized in January 2019, police said. Photo: Morristown police
Morristown postal boxes were vandalized in January 2019, police said. Photo: Morristown police
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From the Morristown police:

The Morristown Police are advising that several blue United States Postal Service collection mailboxes were damaged and/or pried open during the first week of January 2019.

morristown police badgeMorristown Police are working with the United States Postal Inspectors and have been advised that this appears to be the work of an organized crew of mailbox thieves in an effort known as “Mailbox Fishing.”

There is reason to believe that mail was possibly stolen from the mailboxes during this incident.

The mailboxes that were targeted were located as follows:

  • 1 Morris St.
  • 22 Maple Ave.
  • 67 Maple Ave.
  • 25 Elm St.
  • 44 Hill St.
  • 22 Pine St.
  • Madison Street at South Street
  • 113 Morris St.

Residents who may have utilized these mailboxes during the first week of January are urged to check their accounts to ensure that any outgoing payments have been received by the intended recipient.

Anyone suspecting a theft has taken place should contact Morristown Police at 973-538-2200.

This appears to be an isolated incident. However, any resident who is concerned about using the drop-off USPS mailboxes should drop mail directly to a Post Office. 

Morristown Post Office locations and hours are as follows:

1 Morris St. – Open from 8:15 am to 4:45 pm
166 Ridgedale Ave. – Open from 8:15 am to 5:30 pm

In addition, residents can participate in our effort to keep the mail safe by reporting any suspicious activity around the blue collection mailboxes. If any resident observes suspicious activity that could possibly be related to mailbox fishing, they should contact Morristown Police and the United States Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455, Option 2.

Please report this directly to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service versus your local Post Office to ensure that your complaint is addressed and the information is reported in a timely manner to your local Postal Inspector. These complaints will assist with identifying those who commit this crime. 

Mail Fishing Prevention Tips: 

• Deposit outgoing mail into blue collection boxes before the final pick up of the same day of deposit. Check the pickup schedule times posted on the box to ensure your mail will not sit in the box overnight or over the weekend/holiday. If the collection box notes the last collection at 5 PM do NOT deposit mail after 5 PM.

• Collect your mail from your mailbox every day as soon as possible after it is delivered. Do not allow mail to accumulate, even in a locked mailbox.

• If you plan on traveling and will not have access to your daily mail delivery please consider placing your mail on hold at your local office via online or in person.

• If you have concerns about security in your neighborhood, place mail in a collection box in another area, in a secure receptacle at your place of business, or at a Pos t Office.

• If you see any suspicious substance, such as glue or other sticky product on the mailbox, please contact your local Post Office to report it, and notify Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455.

• Immediately report any suspicious activity at any mail receptacle to your Morristown Police at 973-538-2200 and contact the Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455.

• Monitor and review your financial statements regularly (bank/credit card) to ensure that no suspicious or unauthorized activity has occurred. If you mailed a payment to a creditor and it has not been received please review your account to ensure the check was not altered and payable to another party. 

• If customers believe they have been a victim of mail theft, identity theft, fraud or other crimes involving the U.S. Mail, they can report it online 24/7, by visiting the Inspection Service website at www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov. (Select “contact us” and then “file a complaint.”)

Customers can also call our national 24/7 hotline at 877-876-2455 and select option 2. Residents can also make these reports to the Morristown Police as the information will be forwarded to the Postal Inspectors.

1 COMMENT

  1. The blue mailboxes in front of the post office on Ridgedale are the new type with a very small slot at the top to deter fishing. I found when I used them during the Christmas season, however, that the slot is so narrow you can only drop in one envelope at a time. Not efficient when mailing a few dozen envelopes!

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