KETTERING, Ohio (WDTN) – Mail was stolen once again from USPS collection boxes outside post offices in the Miami Valley. This time, thieves hit locations in Kettering and Beavercreek.
According to Tyler Johnson, public information officer for the City of Kettering Police Department, all the mail was taken from the collection boxes outside the Forrer Boulevard post office. Johnson said anyone who dropped in mail from 4 p.m. Friday, May 13, 2022 to 2 a.m. Saturday, May 14, 2022 could be at risk.
“Sometime between then and 2 a.m., someone had come to the post office on Forrer, opened up the post office drop boxes and stole everything inside,” Johnson said.
The collection boxes outside the post office on Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek were also hit that night.
These thefts are becoming a growing problem in the Miami Valley. Dozens of victims are coming forward and some people are even reporting thousands of dollars being stolen from their bank accounts.
2 NEWS reached out to USPS last week and submitted a Freedom of Information Act request. USPS still has not provided any answers or information regarding an investigation into these collection box thefts.
Kettering police do not have any suspects right now. They are urging anyone who used the blue boxes Friday evening to keep checking their accounts for any suspicious activity. They also recommend going inside the post office to send any mail.
“The biggest thing is to not use the drop boxes. If you’re going to be sending cash or checks to anybody, it’s recommended you go inside the post office. Give it to a teller, give it to a postman if you see them out, if you have the ability to do online banking. Those are several ways to protect yourself from being victimized,” Johnson said.
If you think you were a victim of these thefts, contact the United States Postal Office Inspector at CFOMT@uspis.gov or call 877-876-2455.