Your mailbox is one of most vulnerable points in the real world, knowing how to protect your mail adds a critical line of defense.  To start, you must be attentive.  Know your mail carrier, get to know their schedule, and also observe their normal delivery patterns.  In addition, there are some routine, safe mail handling practices that you can put into practice, such as:

·Don’t leave mail in your box for an extended period of time - incoming or outgoing mail should never sit in your mailbox for more than half a day. If you are sending payments for bills or other sensitive information, don’t place them in the mailbox as you leave for work in the morning.  Instead, drop them off at a post office.  Just as important is retrieving your mail from your mailbox as soon as possible once it is delivered.

·Use a locking mailbox, like the Gray DoorTM residential mailbox locking system, when possible.  If you must leave mail sitting in your mailbox, consider investing in a locking mailbox.  The Gray DoorTM residential mailbox locking system allows postal carriers to place mail or packages in the box, but only a person with a key can remove it.
The process of protecting your mail (and your identity) is really just a matter of changing the way you think.  The days of being able to safely leave your mail in the mailbox all day are gone (which is really too bad, remember when it was also OK to leave your doors unlocked?).  Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world anymore.  

Be sure to take some time to think about your mail habits that could put you at risk.  For those habits you identify, ask yourself if someone were trying to take your mail would they easily be able to so?  If the answer is yes, focus on changing those habits where you, or your mail, are vulnerable.  This exercise will reduce your risks when identity thieves come calling.

Alley ways and mailboxes in close proximity to one another are prime targets for identity theft thieves.