Mail theft remains a serious problem across the United States in 2026, affecting everything from personal checks and credit cards to packages, financial documents, and sensitive personal information.
The problem has become significant enough that the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service launched Project Safe Delivery in 2023 specifically in response to increased letter carrier robberies and associated mail theft. Since the program’s expansion, USPS reports that letter carrier robberies have fallen 27% and more than 2,400 arrests have been made in connection with mail theft and related crimes.
That does not mean the threat has disappeared. A May 2026 report from the USPS Office of Inspector General continued to examine how USPS and the Postal Inspection Service are responding to mail theft, including criminals targeting postal employees as a way to gain access to mail and commit financial crimes.
The sheer size of the U.S. mail system also puts the issue into perspective. In 2025, USPS processed an average of more than 250,000 pieces of mail every minute and delivered to approximately 157.8 million residential addresses. It also processed and delivered an average of 22.7 million packages per day.
So, how common is mail theft today, what are thieves looking for, and which types of mailboxes are most vulnerable?
Below, we break down the latest mail theft statistics available in 2026, including mail theft complaints, letter carrier robberies, stolen checks, package theft, identity theft risks, and the steps USPS and consumers are taking to better protect the mail.
Key Mail Theft Statistics for 2026
Mail theft continues to affect individuals and businesses across the United States. While increased enforcement and security measures have produced some encouraging results, hundreds of thousands of mail theft complaints have been reported in recent years.
Here are some of the most important mail theft statistics available in 2026:
| Mail Theft Statistic | Latest Data |
|---|---|
| Mail theft complaints received from FY 2023 through FY 2025 | More than 800,000 |
| Mail theft arrests under Project Safe Delivery | 3,654 |
| Robbery arrests under Project Safe Delivery | 545 |
| Change in letter carrier robberies in FY 2024 | Down 27% |
| Reported robberies responded to by postal inspectors in FY 2024 | 442 |
| High-security blue collection boxes installed | More than 23,000 |
| Antiquated arrow locks replaced with electronic locks | More than 42,000 |
| Mail theft investigations closed by USPS OIG in first half of FY 2026 | More than 730 |
| Mail theft convictions or pre-trial diversions assisted by USPS OIG in first half of FY 2026 | 237 |
| Fines, restitution and recoveries resulting from those investigations | More than $10 million |
One of the biggest numbers is the volume of complaints. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General reported that the Postal Inspection Service received more than 800,000 mail theft complaints between fiscal years 2023 and 2025. Complaints initially declined from FY 2023 to FY 2024 before increasing again in FY 2025 in every Postal Inspection Service division except Seattle.
Enforcement has also increased. Project Safe Delivery, the joint USPS and Postal Inspection Service initiative launched in May 2023, reports 3,654 mail theft arrests and 545 robbery arrests nationwide through March 31, 2026.
There are signs that some prevention efforts are working. Letter carrier robberies decreased 27% in fiscal year 2024. USPS has also installed more than 23,000 high-security blue collection boxes and replaced more than 42,000 traditional arrow locks with electronic locks as part of its efforts to make stolen postal keys less useful to criminals.
Mail theft enforcement remained active in 2026. During the first half of fiscal year 2026 alone, the USPS Office of Inspector General closed more than 730 mail theft investigations and assisted in 237 convictions or pre-trial diversions. Those investigations resulted in more than $10 million in fines, restitution and recoveries owed to the government or victims.
How Common Is Mail Theft in the United States?
Mail theft is widespread in the United States, but determining exactly how many letters, checks, packages, and other pieces of mail are stolen each year is difficult.
There is no comprehensive national database that records every individual piece of stolen mail. A single mail theft complaint can involve one missing letter, while another incident may involve hundreds or even thousands of pieces of mail taken from collection boxes, cluster mailboxes, apartment mailboxes, or other delivery points.
For that reason, mail theft complaints provide one of the best indicators of the scale of the problem.
According to a May 2026 report from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspection Service received more than 800,000 mail theft complaints from fiscal years 2023 through 2025. Complaints declined between FY 2023 and FY 2024 but increased again in FY 2025 in every Postal Inspection Service division except Seattle.
The number becomes even more significant when compared with the volume of mail moving through the postal system. USPS processed approximately 116 billion pieces of mail in FY 2023, 112 billion in FY 2024, and 109 billion in FY 2025.
Mail theft also does not necessarily end when the mail is taken. Criminals frequently target mail containing checks, credit cards, identification documents, and other sensitive financial information that can be used to commit additional crimes. The Postal Inspection Service reports that thieves have targeted postal keys specifically because those keys can provide access to neighborhood collection and delivery boxes containing large quantities of mail.
This helps explain why mail theft has increasingly become associated with organized financial crime rather than simply isolated incidents of someone taking mail from a residential mailbox.
Mail Theft Statistics by Year
Tracking mail theft from year to year is more complicated than it may appear. Neither USPS nor the Postal Inspection Service publishes a definitive annual count of every piece of mail stolen in the United States.
Instead, federal agencies track several indicators, including mail theft complaints, investigations, arrests, robberies of postal employees, and criminal convictions.
Recent data shows that mail theft remains a persistent problem. The USPS Office of Inspector General reported that the Postal Inspection Service received more than 800,000 mail theft complaints across fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Complaints declined from FY 2023 to FY 2024 before increasing again in FY 2025 in nearly every Postal Inspection Service division.
| Year | Key Mail Theft Data |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Mail theft and postal crime prompted USPS and the Postal Inspection Service to launch Project Safe Delivery in May 2023. |
| 2024 | Letter carrier robberies declined 27% as USPS expanded security and enforcement efforts. |
| 2025 | Mail theft complaints increased compared with FY 2024 in nearly every Postal Inspection Service division. |
| 2026 | In the first half of FY 2026, USPS OIG closed more than 730 mail theft investigations and assisted in 237 convictions or pre-trial diversions. |
The enforcement numbers from 2025 also illustrate the scale of the problem. Between April 1 and September 30, 2025, the USPS OIG closed 778 mail theft investigations, recorded 306 arrests and reported 261 criminal convictions related to mail theft. Those cases resulted in approximately $17.9 million in fines, restitution, and recoveries.
Mail Theft From USPS Blue Collection Boxes
USPS blue collection boxes have become a notable target for mail thieves because a single box can contain checks, credit cards, financial documents, and other valuable mail from multiple customers.
Criminals use several methods to steal mail from collection boxes. According to the USPS Office of Inspector General, thieves have pulled envelopes through collection slots, pried boxes open with tools, and opened boxes using stolen or counterfeit arrow keys. Another method, known as “mail fishing,” involves using a homemade device to pull envelopes through the opening of a collection box.
Arrow keys are particularly valuable because they can provide access to multiple types of USPS equipment, including blue collection boxes, cluster box units, outdoor parcel lockers, and apartment mail panels.
A 2026 USPS OIG investigation illustrates the problem. Investigators uncovered a criminal operation in St. Louis in which a postal employee sold an arrow key and stolen mail to a criminal organization. The group used the key to access mail receptacles and targeted checks, credit cards, and other valuables that could be fraudulently used.
How to Protect Your Mail From Theft
While no mailbox can completely eliminate the risk of theft, reducing the amount of time mail remains unattended can make it less accessible to thieves.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends collecting delivered mail promptly and avoiding leaving letters or packages in a mailbox or at the door for extended periods. If you are expecting a check, credit card, or other valuable item that does not arrive on time, contact the sender rather than assuming it has simply been delayed.
Additional steps that can help protect your mail include:
- Pick up incoming mail as soon as possible after delivery.
- Avoid leaving mail in your mailbox overnight.
- Deposit outgoing mail inside a post office when sending checks or other valuable documents.
- If using a USPS blue collection box, deposit mail as close as possible to the posted collection time.
- Use USPS Hold Mail when you will be away from home.
- Consider Signature Confirmation for important shipments.
- Use USPS Informed Delivery to monitor expected incoming mail and packages.
- Consider a locking mailbox when appropriate for your property.
The FBI has also warned consumers about the increase in mail theft-related check fraud. Its recommendations include monitoring bank activity, following up with recipients to confirm that checks arrived, and considering electronic payment methods when appropriate.
Final Takeaway
Mail theft remains a significant problem in the United States in 2026, even as USPS expands security measures and law enforcement efforts. More than 800,000 mail theft complaints were recorded between fiscal years 2023 and 2025, while thousands of arrests have been made through Project Safe Delivery.
The good news is that some measures appear to be working. Letter carrier robberies have declined, thousands of high-security collection boxes and electronic locks have been installed, and federal investigators continue to pursue organized mail theft operations.
