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Here's how you can prevent your mail from getting stolen

Mailboxes sit vulnerably in the open right outside of your home, unprotected. Yet inside, the mail can hold so much of your personal information.

Mailboxes sit vulnerably in the open right outside of your home, unprotected. Yet inside, the mail can hold so much of your personal information.

Metal security boxes can cost you hundreds. But there are many other and more affordable ways to make sure your information doesn't land in the hands of a thief.

We spoke to a Converse man who didn't want to be named.

"There's definitely a problem, somebody is doing something they shouldn't be doing. There's a thief out there," he said.

He says that he's always weary of mail snatchers.

"It was five in the morning, we all know the mailman is not delivering mail at that time," he said.

He's come up with his own method of making sure his mail is safe, by installing a wireless alarm security system, which is Velcroed onto the back of the mailbox door.

Each time motion is detected near the mailbox, an alarm sounds off in his home.

"I immediately call the police and ask them to dispatch someone out here," he said. "To see why my mailbox is going off!"

Trudy Chuokes with Johnnie Chuokes Hardware Store says that many customers come in looking for simple ways to secure their mailboxes.

She suggests a mailbox insert. It's affordable and easy to install.

The U.S Postal Service recommends getting a Label 33. You can get this label from your local post office. It's a sticker that warns thieves that mail theft and damage to a mailbox is a federal crime. The service also suggests making sure your mailbox is in good condition, sturdy, and properly installed.

And of course, always report theft, tampering, or destruction of mail or mailboxes to your postmaster or online.

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