MOSES LAKE - With increasing mail thefts in Grant County over the past two months, a local postmaster offers a few tips to protect against theft.

Moses Lake Postmaster Debbie Welden said the post office received more complaints than usual concerning mail theft recently. Several citizens bring mail to the post office located on the ground and in the roadway or in the wrong mailbox, open and unopened.

She's heard several complaints where someone opens their mailbox to find it stuffed with their mail and all their neighbor's mail. Welden said it appears someone takes mail from an entire neighborhood, sorts through it and stuffs the rest in the final mailbox on their spree.

She said less than 4 percent of mail theft results in identity theft.

Welden referred the rash of thefts to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service which is following the activity and logging theft reports.

She offered several tips for people to protect themselves against mail theft.

Welden said to be aware of vehicles following mail delivery carriers. Many times someone will follow a delivery person, picking up the mail shortly after it's delivered.

She advised to identify what type of vehicle is used to deliver the mail. Mail is delivered in official carrier vehicles and private vehicles. Welden suggested getting familiar with any private delivery vehicles.

She recommends learning when the mail is delivered and retrieving mail immediately if possible.

Welden said not to leave items in mailboxes overnight. She said it's a good idea to place the items in the mailbox right before the carrier comes to retrieve it.

The best tip Welden says she has to offer is to consider a secured locked mailbox sold at the post office.

She said an additional 140 mailboxes will be installed at the post office by April 1. The mailboxes vary in size and cost begins at $20 every six months for the space.

If you don't want to go to the post office to retrieve mail each day, Welden said several neighborhoods are purchasing cluster mailboxes.

The cluster mailbox is a metal box holding eight to 16 mailboxes. The mailboxes are accessed by key only. She said prices begin at $100 per mailbox.

The trend in most new home developments is to install the cluster mailboxes, Welden added.