ENCINO HILLS : Officials Warn of Mail Robbers

The U.S. Postal Service has warned residents of the Encino and Tarzana hills to beware of mail robbers after a series of thefts from unlocked mailboxes in the area.

In an April 8 letter mailed to addresses south of Ventura Boulevard, Postal Inspector D.H. Smith, who oversees postal inspectors in the Los Angeles area, warned residents of “thefts, rifling and other mistreatment of mail once it has been delivered to . . . residential curbside mailboxes.”

The thieves are hunting for credit cards, statements containing credit card or bank account numbers and other financial documents, the warning said.

Smith’s letter contained no details about the incidents and postal inspectors would not release any other information Thursday. However, several residents of the area told The Times of recent mail thefts.

Donna Jorgensen of Tarzana said her mail was stolen March 4, and she determined that her bank and retirement fund statements were among the missing items.

“Because of the bank statement, they had access to canceled checks with my driver’s license number and my signature,” Jorgensen said. To date, she has not lost any money because of the thefts, she said.

In the letter, the Postal Service advised residents to band together in groups of at least six and invest in locked delivery boxes, which the Postal Service will install and maintain free of charge. Other options encouraged by the Postal Service included installation of locked boxes at residents’ homes or rental of boxes at the post office.

Postal authorities also urged residents to use credit cards from only those companies that “telephone you directly to confirm your receipt of credit cards prior to activating them,” to prevent thieves from intercepting the cards and using them.