Community mailboxes in Vaughan compromised; residents worry thieves stealing personal documents
Posted February 3, 2025 1:12 pm.
Leticia David spends much of her afternoon peeking out her front door, her eyes locked on the community mailbox that sits outside her Cabaletta Crescent home in Woodbridge.
“Last week I saw that the mailboxes had been broken into, including mine,” David said. “My mailbox was empty at the time, so I’m concerned the people took personal documents.”
Trishelle Esposito reached out to Speakers Corner about the issue. Her dad is David’s neighbour and uses the same community mailbox.
“This is the fifth time that this has happened within the year,” Esposito said. “A lot of the people who live here are elderly, and they rely on secure mail delivery for their important financial documents.”
This community mailbox is one of several that have been broken into in York Region. Just last week, York Regional Police (YRP) investigators arrested a man in Newmarket accused of stealing mail, which they claim he used to open up fraudulent bank and credit card accounts.
“There is no information to suggest that the recent fraud arrest is linked to the damaged mailboxes you are reporting on,” a YRP spokesperson told Speakers Corner, going on to say the investigation into those thefts are ongoing.
While that happens, residents like David and Esposito say Canada Post needs to be doing more.
“These mailboxes are clearly very, very old,” Esposito said. “We’ve been asking to get a mailbox that is newer and is less easy to break into. That’s what we want.”
Canada Post says they are working with police to investigate and put up signs on mailboxes targeted, warning customers they have been tampered with. They are also changing the locks and issuing new keys to residents impacted.
“We are working to repair the affected parcel compartments as soon as possible in the next few days. In the meantime, affected customers’ mail is being securely held,” a spokesperson told Speakers Corner.
Residents worry a simple repair to the existing mailboxes will do little to prevent another break-in.
“How many times can we keep doing this? Just give us a new mailbox. Set up cameras, if you have to. It’s time,” Esposito said.
David and others here in the community are now concerned thieves have their hands on their personal documents, many of the residents are signing up with programs to monitor their credit.
“What can I do?” David asked. “I have important tax documents coming and I am not sure if these people took those, it’s very concerning.”
As the investigation continues YRP encourage anyone with any surveillance video or images to reach out to investigators.
Customers concerned about identity fraud should also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
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