USPS cracks down on mail theft from stolen 'arrow keys'

It's the busiest time of year for the U.S. Postal Service -- and thieves are taking advantage.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's the busiest time of year for the U.S. Postal Service -- and thieves are taking advantage.

"We are currently in the middle of the holiday shopping season, which means additional packages will be delivered" in the coming days, said U.S. Postal Inspector and Public Information Officer Silvia Torres. "Those eagerly awaited packages are, unfortunately, also attractive to thieves."

In one southwest Austin community, surveillance video captured criminals stealing mail with ease. By using stolen USPS master keys -- also called "arrow" or "universal" keys -- crooks are able to unlock multiple mailboxes at once.

"Yeah, not great. Not great at all," said Todd, a homeowner, whose mail was stolen.

He asked KXAN not to use his last name or say where the area was out of fear for his safety.

"It makes us think twice, certainly, about dropping off mail here at our mailbox," he said.

Surveillance videos show the neighborhood has been targeted at least four times since last year, most recently in October. It suggests there are multiple universal mail keys, or copies, that are not in USPS control.

Papers to passports stolen

"Members of our community have had mail stolen, packages stolen, important legal documents, personal information, passports. It just goes on and on," said Gene, who also asked us not to use his last name.

Gene suspects his mail was also stolen and said he is "very" concerned by the recent thefts. He said he tried asking what the USPS is doing to stop this from happening but didn't an answer.

"We've asked what's their plan to rectify this," he said. "And we have received nothing."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service -- the federal law enforcement arm of the USPS -- said it is "aware of reports of mail theft" in this neighborhood.

"Postal inspectors are currently investigating this case and will work closely with our local law enforcement partners and combine our resources to better investigate these crimes," Torres said. "However, at this time, no additional information related to this investigation is available for public release due to its ongoing status."

Last week, the USPIS busted a mail-theft ring in Austin. Investigators found more than a dozen weapons -- including 11 semi-automatic rifles -- stolen personal and business checks, and an arrow key linked to the robbery of a letter carrier in Leander this month, according to federal court records obtained by KXAN. At the time, a $150,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.

In that case, the letter carrier said two men demanded he "give up the key." This growing nationwide fraud often involves selling stolen checks to criminal organizations around the country on apps like Telegram and CashApp, depositing them into bank accounts opened with stolen identities, according to court records.

In the last five years, the number of USPS employees "assaulted and murdered" to steal arrow keys "has increased dramatically," according to an affidavit from a U.S. Postal Inspector as part of the criminal complaint into the mail-theft ring.

"Protecting USPS employees is part of the core mission of the USPIS," Torres said. "When a robbery does occur, it receives the highest level of response and attention. Postal Inspectors work tireless with our law enforcement partners, including the Austin Police Department, and used every investigative tool at our disposal to identify and arrest the individuals responsible for these criminal acts."

Mail theft by the numbers

Last year, 412 letter carriers were robbed on the job nationwide with 305 incidents reported in the first half of this year, according to a Office of Inspector General Report.

In May, the postal service announced a plan to replace 49,000 "antiquated" arrow locks with new electronic ones. The September OIG report criticized a lack of "deployment timelines with actionable milestones to fully implement planned initiatives to address mail theft" and "lacks accountability for their arrow keys."

In response, in October the USPS announced it replaced more than 6,500 arrow locks in unnamed "select cities" and said it will install the rest in the "coming months." The USPS said it also installed 10,000 "high-security" blue collection boxes nationwide.

Since May, the USPIS made 109 arrests for robberies and more than 530 arrests for mail theft, officials said. Investigators will continue to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement and "conduct targeted surge operations focusing on those high postal crime areas," the USPS said.

Gene, who did not want to give his last name, stands next to the cluster mailboxes in his neighborhood after picking up his mail. (KXAN Photo/Matt Grant)

"Every postal employee deserves to work in safety and to be free from targeting by criminals seeking to access the public's mail," said Torres. "In an increasingly challenging environment, the USPS and the USPIS are highly focused on protecting postal employees and property and ensuring the secure delivery of the nation's mail and packages. Mail theft and violent crimes are a nationwide occurrence and Central Texas is not immune."

'It's identity theft'

Sharon Mc Clendon works as an enrolled agent at AA CPA Tax Strategies in Austin. She sees the impact of these thefts firsthand.

"They're not receiving their checks," Mc Clendon said. "They're being stolen in the mail."

She said several clients have had their tax refund checks go missing.

"It's identity theft. We have one client who had a $10,000 check stolen," she said. "The mail should be delivered. And we shouldn't accept that it's going to get lost."

Back in southwest Austin, black fingerprint dust is still visible around the master key lock in the cluster mailboxes. Neighbors, like Gene, hope their surveillance cameras will be the key to stopping the recent string of thefts.

"We need to let our voice be heard, too, to try to get someone at the post office to take accountability for this and develop a plan of action," he said. "Keep their people safe, and keep our mail secure."

Keeping your mail safe

The USPIS said mail is often stolen late at night when there aren't a lot of people around. Here's how they recommend keeping your mail safe this holiday season and the rest of the year:

• Don't let incoming mail sit in your mailbox. Check it every day. Try to pick up mail and packages as soon as possible after they are delivered.
• You can deposit your outgoing mail into the mail slot inside the lobby of your local post office.
• When shipping a package, you can choose the Hold for Pickup option and the recipient can collect the package at their local post office. You can request packages being shipped to you be held at the post office by selecting Hold for Pickup using USPS Package Intercept on USPS.com
• If you will not be home or a package won't fit in your mailbox, you can provide delivery instructions online and authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. You can do this by going to USPS.com, entering the tracking number, and selecting Delivery Instructions.
• Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery so you can preview mail before it arrives.
• Ask your local post office to hold your mail for you if you are heading out of town.
• You can use USPS Special Services such as Signature Confirmation, which requires the recipient's first initial and last name at the time of delivery.
• If you have surveillance or doorbell video camera that captures a mail thief, the USPS encourages you to report it to Postal Inspectors at (877) 876-2455 or online at USPIS.gov/report.