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A message to elderly Floridians as mail theft soars across the country.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara says two people have been arrested for stealing from mailboxes in a retirement community.
"If you do not do online banking, do not put that red flag up...sending that beacon to thieves 'Here's my mail. Here's my checks.'"
He says eleven checks from eleven different mailboxes were among the pieces of mail stolen.
Mascara suggests mailing out any checks through the post office, rather than your own mailbox at home.
The U.S. Postal Service recently announced that mail theft and fraud has gone up 161 percent year-over-year.
Other tips to avoid having your mail stolen include signing up with USPS for Informed Delivery, checking your mail daily and switching out your mailbox for one with a lock and key.