OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A cluster mailbox torn open at Ontario Place Apartments has one tenant concerned that thieves pried into her personal information, and she doesn’t want them to know what she looks like.
“My information from the VA, they put all my social security and date of birth on it, so it’s scary,” said the victim, who preferred we don’t identify them. “It’s really scary.”
A management message to residents says all postal cluster boxes in the apartment buildings got hit between 4-5 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“Thank God I got my bank card last week,” the victim said.
So numerous tenants who didn’t pickup the night before had important mail stolen.
“You don’t know what they might have taken and what kind of information it had on it.”
Next to the clubhouse, the community mail room for package delivery has a locked door, but the management email says Saturday night, thieves pried it open. Another tenant who doesn’t want to be identified witness the thieves stealing packages.
“I was pretty shocked,” the victim said. “We saw a white probably like a Suburban or a Tahoe and there were two girls and a guy running in and out of the mailroom.”
Those suspects and their vehicle were captured on security camera video, which was turned over to Omaha Police. Some of the mail stolen likely contained checks, which can be forged by what’s called “washing.”
“I’ve seen it in person now a couple of times, you can take a check and drop it,” said Richard Baier with the Nebraska Banker’s Association. “They create what I’lll call a duplicate of the company. Then at another bank, go in and deposit the checks and close it.”
That’s why Baier encourages the use of wash-proof pens to protect against forgeries. But tenants at Ontario Place Apartments want more protection before crooks strike again.
“We’d just like it if they could put some additional cameras and some better lighting in,” one victim said.
The Seldin Company, which manages the complex, says it understand the importance of mail security for residents, so each building has locked mailboxes. Though, some tenants say thieves have proven that’s not enough.
Over in the community package room, additional lighting and cameras will be installed. Already, notes tell delivery drivers no more packages should be left on tables, but instead to use secure metal cabinets. Still, Tuesday night, 6 News found two boxes left on chairs, so the message about security awareness may require special delivery.
“I’d like it to be more deterrence for people to comer here because obviously they know it’s an easy target,” a victim said.
While more will be done to secure the package delivery room, the response 6 News received from Seldin doesn’t address additional security measures for the cluster mailboxes at each building in the complex, but the company attorney says that is being considered. Seldin says the Omaha Police detective on the case doesn’t want them to release the video of the suspects this soon in the investigation.
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