I was pickpocketed a bit back; luckily, I didn’t have anything valuable in the wallet, but my driver’s license was taken. However, since I have a viable passport and I don’t drive, I didn’t really need it.
Now, for whatever reason, I’m not getting all my mail. I’ll get something occasionally, but if somebody sends me a package, it disappears, and I don’t think I’m getting all the letters either. Therefore, I need a P.O. box, particularly since the holidays are coming up and the few family members who do stay in touch want to send stuff I could use. So I went to the post office. Passport’s not good enough. They said I need two forms of government-issued photo identification. I read online that I needed 2 forms of identification to get a license which could include a “voter registration,” and I live less than a block from the town hall, so I went to the city clerk’s office and told the staff I was registered to vote, and I’d heard you could get identification based on your registration; they gave me an official letter saying I live where I live, with the city seal on it. So I went to the RMV and got a temporary driver’s license (in MA, they send you the permanent one in the mail); they told me the post office had discretion, but could accept it if they wanted to.
I went back to the post office two days ago and the guy said the ID’s cool. I’d read online about the different PO box options and said I want a box for 3 months and he said sorry, we only have boxes for 6 months. I didn’t have the money for that, told him I’d be back when I get a paycheck. Came back today. He was there, but there were two other ladies serving customers, and I got one who told me my ID’s no good, has to be a permanent ID. I told her the reason I need a P.O. box is because I’m not getting my mail, so I don’t know when I’ll get a permanent ID. She said, well you know, City Hall is down the street, you could just get a voter registration. I said, well, I have a letter from them with a City Seal saying I live where I live. She said, no, that’s not a voter registration. I asked her what a voter registration is, since last time I’d gone to the post office, I told them I was registered to vote and this is what they gave me. She said she didn’t know and inquired with her colleagues who also didn’t know. She said I must not be registered to vote. I assured her I was, and voted very recently. She repeated that she didn’t know what a voter registration was.
Have you formally complained to the PO, telling them that you believe some of your mail is going missing? I believe that they take that sort of thing pretty seriously.
Rather than get a PO, you need to find out if your mail has been forwarded elsewhere. That is a step in Identity Theft.
If it hasn’t been forwarded, but is being stolen from your mailbox… that is illegal AND a sign that someone is attempting to get the information needed for Identity Theft.
PO Boxes are used by criminals, so I don’t really have a problem with having to prove your identity to rent one. It is frustrating when there isn’t agreement on what is legit ID, maybe ask to talk to the post master about it and he can ensure that all clerks will honor what ever he has agreed to.
Your biggest problem is that your mail may be forwarded or that someone is possibly taking the mail out of your box.
Also, you need to put an alert on your credit that no new credit can be approved without them contacting you AT YOUR HOME ADDRESS. (Or something to that effect… I forget exactly what it is called)
ETA: We had a small town where mail was not getting delivered. It turned out to be the delivery person who would throw the mail into a storage shed when he wasn’t in the mood to finish his route.
Thanks for the advice people. It’s a long story why, related to the personal exigencies of my living situation, but a P.O. box would basically solve my mail problem…and if somebody’s trying to steal my identity, they’re screwing with the wrong person – I don’t have any working credit cards, I just use debit these days.
Totally doesn’t matter. If somebody can successfully fake being “you”, they will beat your identity as long as it takes until someone sloppy enough gives them a loan in your name. Then it’s your problem again.
Not to mention debit cards and their information are just as easily stolen as credit… :dubious:
I would take the other posters’ advice. Minor pitting for people who are bad at their jobs recognized and agreed with.