The many benefits of vandal proof locking security mailboxes – Some may argue about whether or not crime has really gotten worse in recent years. Even if crime has not worsened, it has definitely grown more sophisticated. Identity theft accounts for millions of dollars in losses for financial institutions and their customers. There is absolutely no skill needed for a criminal to take stuff from an unsecured mailbox, and the potential loss to a homeowner can be devastating.
A locking security mailbox guarantees that your mail stays secure
Why would a homeowner invest in a sophisticated home security system guaranteed to stop an army of trained ninja’s, yet leave twenty thousand dollars sitting unprotected in a box in their front yard. This is what you may be doing by using a standard letter box. Click here for the Top 10 Best Locking Security Mailboxes.
Homeowners and criminals see the world through a different set of eyes. To the home owner, their mailbox was chosen because its design complimented the style of the home, and it was positioned by the curb in order to better accommodate the mail carrier.
When a thief looks at your mailbox, he sees a fortune in blank checks, credit card applications and statements, possibly bank statements. Every day, we leave our mail sitting unprotected in our mailboxes. This leaves us vulnerable to dangers such as, vandalism, identity theft, and even stalkers.
Security features
There are two main differences between a Vandal proof mailbox and a standard model. First let’s start with its heavy-gauge shell, that can be constructed with up to a quarter-inch of steel. Compared to this, your average mailbox may as well be made out of aluminum foil.
Your standard letter box is not designed to withstand a hit from a baseball bat. They are mainly constructed of a thin gauge steel and are designed primarily to keep your mail safe from the elements not criminals. With its heavy-gauge steel frame, a locking security mailbox is more than a match for anything your local hoodlums can throw at it.
The addition of a locking mechanism is the second feature that separates vandal proof mailboxes from the standard type. The locks used will range from inexpensive models designed to deter mail tampering up to robust high-security pick proof locks that will defeat a determined thief. It really does not matter what type of lock is used, just having a mailbox that can be secured, will make you more protected than 99% of the homeowners out there.
Preventing identity theft
Imagine someone being able to steal ten thousand dollars from you without ever having to enter your home. Most if not all of the information an identity thief needs is right there in your unsecured mailbox. Whether it is a pre approved credit card, or personal information necessary to open a line of credit, identity thieves know that it can all be found in your mailbox.
Some clever criminals will even use your mailing address to receive replacement documents that can then be used to forge your identity and open lines of credit. Most of these types of theft could be prevented if you were to simply secure your mail.
Deterring Stalkers
Information is the food a stalker feeds on and it all can be found in abundance in your mailbox. If a potential stalker were to follow you home, they would know nothing about you, other than your home address.
What if they could go through your mail. What could they learn? They could find your mobile phone number, your place of employment, your banking information, your spending habits from your credit cards. They could even determine if you are in a relationship based on any personal correspondences they may come across. The amount of things that can be unearthed and used against you is amazing.
Making life hard for juvenile delinquents
Every Friday and Saturday night other wise normally law-abiding young men and women, practice the sport known as mailbox bashing. Basically, they drive through neighborhoods, baseball bat in hand, smashing letter boxes positioned close to the curb.
With these reinforced locking security mailboxes, you can rest assured that the next time your local juvenile delinquents decide to use your mail box for batting practice, they will probably be doing more damage to themselves than to your property.
I am sure that you receive financial statements and letters of a personal, or sensitive nature on a regular basis. How would you react to having this information strewn across your neighbors yard for them to find? This is what can occur when a mailbox is vandalized.
Most would assume that the worst part of having your mailbox vandalized is the cost of having it replaced or having your mail destroyed due to explosives being placed in the box. I would have to disagree.
It would bother me more to have my personal letters, confidential medical and financial information in the hands of a neighbor, that I may or may not be on good terms with. A security mailbox will make sure that this never occurs.
Solution to a host of problems
locking mailboxes are the solution to all the vulnerabilities mentioned above. They are created using extra strong heavy-duty steel that is more than a match for anyone swinging a baseball bat. The New York Yankees starting lineup would have no chance against these reinforced mailboxes. Anyone with an opposable thumb and the desire to do so can open a standard mail box. Having a locking mailbox eliminates the issue of theft, or your important mail being destroyed by vandals placing explosives inside of them.
On these secure mailboxes, the letter slot is locked. The mail carrier can deposit any standard-sized letter via a horizontal slit in the mail box. For larger deliveries, they can be keyed so that the mail carrier has access and can open the main body and place larger sized packages.
We live in the information age, unfortunately so do criminals. All information both personal and private needs to be protected as you would be any other thing of value in your home. You would buy a safe to protect your money and jewelry from theft; you should do the same for your personal information.
Additional Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_security