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AIBU?

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Post being stolen

12 replies

Shamoo · 25/11/2018 19:04

Hello - My friend lives in an apartment block in central London. The post boxes for all of the flats are on the front of the building, each one has a lock but it is possible to reach inside the boxes and remove the post. Recently there has been a huge amount of post being stolen. There has now been a number of frauds carried out as a result (credit cards being stolen and used etc). They have caught somebody red handed, but the police have no interest in supporting them and the case has been closed (insufficient evidence to take further action, apparently). She isn't allowed to put up a new box to replace hers. The management company are planning to move the letter boxes, but this is taking time. In the meantime, post continues to be stolen. She has stopped having anything meaningful sent to her house (e.g. she had a credit card sent to my house instead) but does anybody have any ideas on how to stop the thieves?

OP posts:
FrenchSchnoodle · 25/11/2018 19:06

That's awful.
Can the post office hold the mail for her? I thought they offered that service so that you can collect it from.

FrenchSchnoodle · 25/11/2018 19:07

*from them

statetrooperstacey · 25/11/2018 19:09

Tell her to arrange a mail collect service, it costs but it's not much. Or she could arrange a redirection to her place of work or friend or relative.

Shamoo · 25/11/2018 19:25

Thanks both - she is trying to set the mail collect service up, but its a stupid system because they have to write to you at home to send a card for you to pick the post up! I don't think they have thought it through fully!!! She's asked them to send it recorded delivery but not sure they will...

OP posts:
LuckyDiamond · 25/11/2018 19:28

Probably illegal but I’d be tempted to post myself a turd in a padded envelope.

FrankIncensed · 25/11/2018 19:40

I had this problem, exactly the same issue - post boxes outside and people could put their hand in. I spoke to the management company, the Royal Mail (in case the post wasn't reaching the letter boxes in the first place), the companies that people were signing up for fraudulently. In the end we had to move sorry to say as no one would help us. I have everything I could go via email but obviously didn't help with credit cards, birthday cards etc.

Shamoo · 25/11/2018 19:46

LuckyDiamond - I'm tempted by some sort of exploding dye pack....but not sure if they really exist (off to Google....)

FrankIncensed - That's terrible :(

OP posts:
ListenToTheWords · 25/11/2018 19:49

Place a rat trap in the post box? One with an extra strong spring!

burblife · 25/11/2018 19:53

Can they get some sort of cameras on the post boxes so they have evidence when it happens again?

LuckyDiamond · 25/11/2018 20:02

My DH has the exact same issue years ago before we were together.

His elderly neighbour was even standing there watching the thieving scum do it, unable to stop him as she was old/tiny. He even smiled at her. She phoned the police (station a minute away in the car) and they arrived 3 hours later to take a statement.

fruitshot · 25/11/2018 20:05

@Shamoo they do! That's what we use in the banks.
They are called smoke and dye 😎

statetrooperstacey · 26/11/2018 19:16

Can she catch her postie? If she has a regular one he or she may agree to keep hers back at the office for her to collect or press a buzzer and have someone collect it from them at their doorway. Although obviously if you do employ a rat trap or dye any goodwill will then be null and void as they stand there dripping in dye with shagged fingers!😳😁

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