Increasing Mail Theft
Feeds ID Fraud Cases in Hawaii

Hawaii— Until she got a telephone call from a merchant trying to verify a credit card charge, a Hawaiian woman didn't even realize she had become a victim of an increasingly common crime.

Using her name, Social Security number and other personal information, thieves made credit card charges and tried to obtain money in a case of identity theft.

"This can go on without you even knowing it," said "J", who asked that her name not be used because a criminal investigation in her case is continuing. "It wasn't just a matter of somebody using my credit card fraudulently.

"When I called up to report fraud, they didn't believe it was me."

Hawaiian police say they have seen more cases of identity theft in recent months, and that the crimes have affected as many as 500 victims on the island in the past year.

Over the past six months, "it's 10 times worse," said detective WF of the HPD financial crimes unit. He estimated police are investigating two cases a month now, usually with multiple victims, compared with one or two such cases all of last year.

"More people are learning how to do it," WF said. "It compounds how many victims you get."

While police haven't kept statistics on identity theft, numbers of forgery and theft cases in Hawaii increased in the first six months of this year, compared with the same period last year.

On one island through June, 247 forgery cases were reported to police, an 18 percent increase over the 209 cases reported in the first half of last year. Theft reports rose by nearly 15 percent during the same period, from 1,315 cases last year to 1,511 this year.

WF estimated that 80 percent to 90 percent of the thefts are committed by people trying to get money for drugs. Many of the thieves are women, who victimize other women so they can more easily assume their identities, KF said.

"A lot of people don't report it or they don't know," he said.

With the recent rash of cases, officials are renewing warnings to residents to guard their mail and other personal information.

In recent months, police have recovered large amounts of mail stolen from mailboxes.

At the end of August, police found mail in a stolen truck that was abandoned after a chase. Other stolen property was also found in the truck, police said.

Police suspect thieves are trying to obtain names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other personal information to make credit card purchases, forge checks, transact Internet business and commit other crimes.

KD, supervising postal inspector for Hawaii, said there has been an increase in mail theft incidents in the islands, although she said she did not have statistics on the number of cases.

There always has been a problem with mail theft because it's been a crime of opportunity. It seems there has been an increase in the state of Hawaii, especially on one of our islands.

"Based on the complaints we are receiving, that seems to be our No. 1 problem."

Nationally, mail theft is the most common crime, according to Postal Inspection Service reports for the 2001 fiscal year. The annual report showed 6,364 arrests for mail theft in 2001, with 5,384 convictions, out of 11,873 arrests and 9,914 convictions for all crimes involving mail.

The second most serious problems were mail fraud, with 1,691 arrests and 1,477 convictions, and mailing of controlled substances, with 1,662 arrests and 1,139 convictions.

KD said federal inspectors are investigating cases of mail theft that have been reported, but she said it helps to have local police proceed with their cases because police and county prosecutors can move more quickly.

Having local prosecutors proceed with charges against a suspect would not necessarily interfere with the ability of the federal government to seek criminal charges against someone who steals mail, she said.

Federal laws include prohibitions against stealing mail from a mailbox and destroying mail. Under the federal law, conviction for mail theft is subject to a fine and up to five years in prison, while destruction of mail can lead to a fine and up to three years in prison.

KD said inspectors are working with various police departments in the investigation of some thefts that have been reported, however a federal case can take a long time.

Meanwhile, local police have several options in charging someone suspected of stealing mail including the new Hawaii identity theft law which is an excellent law per KD.

So far, one defendant on one of the islands has been charged under the new law, which took effect June 28.

One of the girls, age 22, faces five counts of attempted third-degree identity theft after she and a 16-year-old girl were seen opening mailboxes in a postal subdivision on Aug. 14. The two were placing flyers advertising a baby-sitting service in mailboxes while removing mail, police said.

Police officers, responding to a resident's report of the suspicious activity, stopped the car that the two were in and recovered mail stolen from 61 residents.

The car, registered to one of the girl's grandmother, was the same vehicle — then painted gold — that police stopped on June 20, when officers recovered another cache of stolen mail.

One of the two was was sleeping in the back seat of the car at the time of the stop. The 18-year-old had stolen the mail from various neighborhoods on the island. One of the two was charged with 23 counts of fourth-degree theft, a petty misdemeanor carrying a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Had the new law been in effect earlier, "a lot more people would have been charged" with felonies for using personal information to commit theft, said a Deputy Prosecutor.

Depending on the amount stolen, those convicted of identity theft could face as long as 20 years in prison.

KF describes identity theft as an epidemic with effects that can linger.

"It can haunt people for years," he said. "They can have a hard time getting credit."

One person who was victimized about 1 years ago "can't even cash a check anymore," KF said. "The consequences can be devastating and terrifying."

Anyone who has had mail stolen from a mailbox should call police, but they also can file a complaint with the Postal Inspection Service, Derwey said. A complaint can be filed with the customer's local postmaster or by calling the Postal Inspection Service on Oahu at (808) 423-3790.

"They should file a complaint if they know they have been a victim of mail theft," she said.

But if postal patrons only suspect their mail might have been stolen, they need to check with the businesses and individuals who might have sent mail or who should have received the patrons' mail.

"It's what we would have to do if there is a complaint," she said.

If the victim of mail theft can provide information on what mail is missing, it will speed the federal investigation, she said.

Fujie said people who have mail, credit cards or identification stolen also should protect themselves by notifying major credit bureaus so their accounts will be flagged with fraud alerts when someone tries to apply for credit.

"J" the resident who became a victim of identity theft, said she also contacted the Social Security Administration after learning the thieves had her Social Security number. She wanted to prevent someone else from obtaining a Social Security card in her name.

She said she is careful not to give out her Social Security number, keeping it off checks and her driver's license, and doesn't put bills or other mail containing personal information in her residential mailbox. She has established passwords for financial accounts to make it harder for others to gain access to them.

She has also subscribed to a service so she can receive copies of her credit reports every three months to check for any fraudulent activity.

"I think it's something people need to be aware of," she said. "If we're all aware of it, it's going to make it harder for these people."

While she isn't liable for any monetary losses, Julie estimated she has spent 100 hours on the telephone trying to clear her credit and prevent being victimized further.

"Even for me to get credit, I'm going to have to go through hoops to prove who I am," she said. "They won't do anything over the phone."

Although fraudulent credit activity using her name seems to have slowed, she said she would maintain fraud alerts with the credit bureaus.

"These are going to have to stay on indefinitely, for the rest of my life," she said. "Once your information is out there, it's out there."

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