Community Crime Bulletin: Mail theft on campus

To: UCSC Community

From: Nader Oweis, UC Santa Cruz Chief of Police

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department has received multiple reports of mail theft from residents in Family Student Housing (FSH) in the past couple weeks.
There is no available information on the suspect(s). Anyone with information regarding these incidents or who has seen anything suspicious in FSH is encouraged to contact the UC Santa Cruz Police Department immediately at (831) 459-2231 x1
Tips to avoid mail theft
  • Always use a blue post office collection box or deposit your mail inside the post office. 

  • Whether you have a home mailbox or use a post office box, you should always collect your mail on the day it is delivered. Never leave it in your mailbox overnight.

  • Mail thieves look for bank statements and credit card bills, which can be used to create counterfeit checks or fake identifications. 

  • Thieves also look for personal checks enclosed in utility bills or other payments. Thieves take these stolen checks, remove the ink, and then fill out the blank check in their names and desired amount. 

  • Never send cash through the mail. When reordering checks, have them sent to your bank. 

  • When you travel, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail. 

  • If you don’t receive a check, bill or other mail you are expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately. 
For more on mail theft, visit the website for U.S. Postal Inspection Services.