Protect yourself from holiday mail theft.

Posted on khon2.com, December 4, 2015, by Kristine Uyeno

The holidays are a great time to be with friends and family and part of that special time is sharing gifts. Many people are shopping online this year so we offer the attached on the issue of theft. This article was created for the state of Hawaii and includes good information for the U.S. in general.

Please be aware and be careful  when mailing and shipping this holiday season - Pitney Bowes.

The U.S. Postal Service expects a jump in the number of packages and cards being sent this holiday season, and with it, a greater chance of your mail getting stolen.

The holiday season is an opportune time for thieves looking to steal boxes on doorsteps and holiday cards in mailboxes. With billions of pieces of mail being sent this month nationwide, that opportunity for crime could grow.

“Each year during the holiday season, we’re very concerned about the issue of parcel thefts after the customer’s package has been delivered to their doorstep or to their mailbox,” said U.S. postal inspector Brian Shaughnessy.

The USPS expects more than 15 billion cards, letters and packages will be sent nationwide. That includes 600 million packages, marking a 10-percent increase from last year.