How to catch a Post Mail Thief?

[Saul]

Somebody is stealing my mail. I can't find out who it is. There are seven floors in the building.

I left out a fake package with a note telling them that I had contacted the police over it but they still are taking my mail. I've waited in hiding to see if somebody would take anything but I've caught nobody so far.

What I want to do is catch the person so I can alert everyone as to who it is and get them to return or pay me back for the stuff stolen.

I'm not interested in preventive measures. What I want is to catch them.

Anyone got any really good ideas to nail this person with?

 

[Lindley]

Mail yourself LoJack?

 

[Saul]

I'm looking for a bit of a cheap method. Not too technical. I don't want to waste money on catchign this scumbag.

 

[Finn]

Did you talk to the cops and your property manager about it?

 

[Saul]

Did you talk to the cops and your property manager about it?

I talked to the owners of the buildings who were useless. They said they can call people and ask if they took mail "by mistake". I'm pretty sure they didn't do this as they are a pretty useless when it comes to things like this

The police can't do much since I have no idea who it is. Again they can tell me what I can do to stop mail being stolen in future but I would really like to just put a end to any mail being stolen.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Why not just wait near your mailbox and catch him yourself?

 

[Saul]

Why not just wait near your mailbox and catch him yourself?

Yes as I already mentioned I have tried that but I didn't catch anyone and I can't be out hiding in the cold every morning waiting.

 

[Mr. B]

The only success I've ever heard of in this endeavor involved a hidden camera.

 

[cultcross]

The police can't do much since I have no idea who it is. Again they can tell me what I can do to stop mail being stolen in future but I would really like to just put a end to any mail being stolen.

Have you actually contacted them about it? Because there's quite a bit more you can do for mail theft than that. If I understand correctly, you believe it is someone in your building, yes? Which narrows the field consierably and make sthe job easier. The way we would deal with it is to place a fake letter as you did, but make it look normal - except that the inside of the envelope and the letter is covered in a clear persistent UV dye. On opening it, the thief would get the dye all over his hands without even realising it, and then a day or so later a quick door-to-door with a blacklight torch will quickly reveal the thief.
They use the same technique to trace document leaks and so on.

 

[Saul]

The police can't do much since I have no idea who it is. Again they can tell me what I can do to stop mail being stolen in future but I would really like to just put a end to any mail being stolen.

Have you actually contacted them about it? Because there's quite a bit more you can do for mail theft than that. If I understand correctly, you believe it is someone in your building, yes? Which narrows the field consierably and make sthe job easier. The way we would deal with it is to place a fake letter as you did, but make it look normal - except that the inside of the envelope and the letter is covered in a clear persistent UV dye. On opening it, the thief would get the dye all over his hands without even realising it, and then a day or so later a quick door-to-door with a blacklight torch will quickly reveal the thief.
They use the same technique to trace document leaks and so on.

Yes, they actually do this in my own country Ireland but I asked people if they do it in Japan and nobody has heard of it. So I hadn't really contacted the police.

 

[Deks]

Plant a hidden camera if you can (without letting anyone know) and monitor the mailbox for a few days.

 

[jamestyler]

Plant a hidden camera if you can (without letting anyone know) and monitor the mailbox for a few days.

Theres a legal issue in the UK, unsure about Japan...
...though someone local to me had the same problem and solved it with some kind of alarm. It might have been a rape alarm? Anyway, it went off when the stolen package was opened to some shock and horror. I'm not quite sure how he rigged it but it worked.

I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I found out who it was but had no way to prove it... so I sent myself a letter. Inside was a note to the lady stealing my mail and it stopped

 

[JoeZhang]

Shit in a box, spring load the box.

No better - piss in an expensive looking wine bottle.

 

[Plecostomus]

Place a webcam inside the box, plug the cable to a "transmitter box", fake of course.

Asswipe opens box, sees camera, shits pants.

 

[Saul]

I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I found out who it was but had no way to prove it... so I sent myself a letter. Inside was a note to the lady stealing my mail and it stopped

I tried that twice already but they aren't giving up.

No better - piss in an expensive looking wine bottle.

I had thought to put an electric shock pen inside.

 

[Nobody]

I'd call the cops anyway, worse they can say is no. No need to not use them because you're afraid they can't help. Short of that, what do the mailboxes look like? Anyway to rig a camera inside?


-nobody

 

[wew]

Do you have postal inspectors? In the US they are the one's usually responsible for stolen mail.

 

[TGTheodore]

Try a fake letter which inside says,"Hope you smiled for the camera. See you real soon."

May not work permanently, but ...

--Ted

 

[SeerSGB]

Shit in a box, spring load the box.

No better - piss in an expensive looking wine bottle.

Or, expensive wine bottle, cheap wine...a week later a letter that looks like a check: If you want the antidote to the poison you drank...


We have a on again off again problem with mail missing down here (rural route). Never caught the thief and the only thing the post-master said was "well get a PO Box"

 

[Finn]

Wild idea- put in a check for 20, make it so that anybody can cash it. Have your bank find out where it was cashed (Tell them the check number). Hopefully there will be a video camera there. I don't know if that can be done in Japan or anywhere.