BALTIMORE — A Baltimore woman's debit card was stolen out of the mail and used the same day it was supposed to be delivered.
Teela Boone was expecting her new debit card to arrive on August 4th, according to the U.S. Postal Service's Informed Delivery notification.
"When the mailman delivered my mail, he only delivered the junk mail, but not my card," Boone said.
She flagged down her mail carrier, who suggested it might take a few more days to arrive.
"I went to the post office two times. They also told me it could take, one person said it could take up to seven days. Another person said it could take up to 20 days. And I'm just like, 'No, that never happens,'" Boone said.
Days later, Boone began receiving fraud alerts. When she contacted her bank, she discovered the card had already been used.
"Once I got in touch with someone at the bank, I found out that my card was used on the fourth, the day that the card was supposed to come," Boone said.
Informed Delivery notifications are sent to customers after mail is scanned at the downtown distribution center. It's then sent to the local post office and delivered to the customer. It's unclear where Boone's debit card went missing, but she knows it happened in Baltimore. And the thief not only used the card at a local gas station but also attempted to impersonate Boone over the phone.
"They tried to swipe it again after they got what they got off of it at the gas station, the bank told me it was declined, and then the bank said they called in trying to pretend to be me," Boone said.
Fortunately, the bank flagged the suspicious activity, and Boone hadn't yet deposited money into the account, but it's been unsettling. And her mail carrier alerted her to other incidents.
"Some post offices in Baltimore, including my post office, are being investigated for fraud. He said it's been on the news. And I said, 'Well, I'm going to Google that.' And when I did, I found your story," Boone told WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii.
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Sofastaii has extensively reported on this issue including customers whose checks and money orders mailed at local post offices were stolen, washed, and cashed. In Frederick County alone, more than 100 reports of mail theft have been filed since the beginning of this year, many involving tax and utility bill payments.
The problem has caught the attention of Maryland lawmakers, who are now seeking more information from USPS, and recently, there was a Congressional hearing on this nationwide issue. Attacks on postal workers to steal universal mailbox keys (known as arrow keys) remains a primary focus while the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS OIG) spoke on internal theft.
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"Criminal organizations recruit postal employees, often through encrypted messaging apps or social media platforms, with the promise of a quick and easy buck. These employees that have access to the mail allows them to steal mail containing checks, credit cards, and other financial instruments," Julius Rothstein, Deputy Inspector General for the USPS OIG told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
While a USPS OIG spokesperson confirmed receiving Boone's complaint, they could not provide additional comment. Boone is confident the theft didn't occur after delivery, as she has a camera monitoring her mailbox.
She's now anxiously awaiting her replacement card and hopes she receives the real thing instead of a snapshot.
"When is it going to be fixed? You know? When are you going to do something for the victims and the victims to come? It's going to keep happening. Something needs to be done about it. Immediately," Boone said.
The USPS OIG is conducting investigations into mail thefts across the postal service and recently looked into reports in Houston and Sacramento. When asked about potential investigations in Baltimore, a spokeswoman said they're still analyzing where their next review will be conducted.
How to File Complaints with Postal and Law Enforcement Agencies
- United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS): Report mail theft/fraud at uspis.gov/report or call 1-877-876-2455; investigates crimes involving mail, postal employees, or postal property.
- USPS Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG): Report internal postal misconduct at uspsoig.gov/hotline or call 1-888-USPS-OIG; handles employee misconduct and postal contractor fraud.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (FBI IC3): Report internet-enabled crimes at ic3.gov; handles online fraud, phishing scams, and refers cases to appropriate agencies.
- Contact Congressman Kweisi Mfume's Office: mfume.house.gov/contact
- Contact Congressman Johnny Olszewski's Office: https://olszewski.house.gov/contact