A 24-year-old Red Deer man is facing charges after he was allegedly caught with stolen mail.
Red Deer RCMP said about 2 a.m. on Sept. 20 they got a call of a mail theft in progress in the Westlake neighbourhood. Two men were spotted trying to break in to a community mailbox.
RCMP located two men on Wiley Crescent and the suspects fled on foot. One suspect was arrested after a brief foot chase. Numerous pieces of stolen mail, what is believed to be methamphetamine, and break-in tools were seized.
The suspect has been charged with mail theft under $5,000, drug possession, possessing break-in instruments, resisting and obstructing a peace officer and failing to comply with probation.
“Red Deer RCMP are recovering increasing amounts of stolen mail during arrests, and it corresponds to increased attempts at identity theft,” says Red Deer RCMP Const. Derek Turner.
“Thieves aren’t just looking for gift cards or credit information. They’re using stolen personal information they gather to access your bank accounts, open new ones in your name, apply for loans and new credit cards, and fraudulently receive government benefits.
“And sometimes, if they have enough personal information, they’re successful,” warns Turner.
RCMP work in partnership with Canada Post to prevent and investigate theft of mail files, and encourage customers to report any suspicious activities regarding mail to Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575 or to Canada Post.
Find more information about identity theft here:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/id-theft-vol-eng.htm
Find more information about protecting yourself from mail theft here: https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=how_to_prevent_mail_&cattype=kb&cat=security&subcat=identifytheft
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