Red Deer City RCMP are seeking two suspects who potentially could be perpetrating identify thefts after two mailboxes were broken into in the Inglewood neighbourhood.
At 12:15 a.m. Friday, RCMP responded to a complaint of a man and a woman breaking into the community mailbox near Irish Street and Ivany Close and stealing mail.
The suspects were gone when police arrived. Further investigation determined a second community mailbox at the corner of Irish Street and Irving Crescent had also been broken into and emptied of mail.
A male and a female suspect were seen driving away in a mini-van.
RCMP urge citizens in the Inglewood area to take steps to protect themselves from identity theft:
· If anyone thinks their mail might have contained replacement credit or bank cards or statements that could be used to attempt fraud, they should contact their bank or credit card company immediately.
· Are you expecting personal identification such as a renewed driver’s license or other government-issued identification? Contact the issuing agency immediately.
· Contact the appropriate utility companies to ensure a payment isn’t missed. Stolen bills can also be used by fraudsters to steal your identity, open new accounts or get cash loans.
· RCMP urge checking mailboxes every day to lessen the risk of losing important pieces of mail.
Learn more about protecting yourself from fraud by visiting the identity theft section of the RCMP website at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/id-theft-vol-eng.htm and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/protectyourself-protegezvous/index-eng.htm.
If you observe suspicious activity at a mailbox, call 911. Anyone with information about this investigation, please contact the Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or report it online at www.tipsubmit.com.