Did you know that the bright red post boxes we see daily on street corners and in the Post Office itself are made from material that is considered to be practically indestructible? The reason for this is twofold: firstly it prevents people from vandalising them, and secondly it prevents prying hands from being able to get inside and steal post that belongs to somebody else. Identity theft has become one of the most prolific types of crime in recent years and unfortunately it shows no signs of abating, as criminals come up with more novel ways in which to obtain your personal information.

To prevent this horrendous crime from happening to you there are some basic preventative measures you can take, the most obvious being to shred any important documents that have personal information on them, such as bills, bank and credit card statements. However, one of the best and often overlooked ways to prevent identity theft is to fit a secure letterbox, which can stop criminals from being able to take your mail in the first place.

A secure letterbox works in three ways: firstly it has a locking mechanism, meaning only a key holder can gain access to the post. Secondly it is made from strong material (we specialise in high quality cast aluminium letterboxes) and thirdly, for added security, it should have an internal restrictor bar that prevents criminals from being able to get their hand into the post slot. These letter boxes come in a variety of sizes, with many being able to hold larger size envelopes or several days’ worth of mail should you not be able to retrieve it daily.

Having all of these safety features does not mean that your letter box will be lacking in style; both functionality and stylish design are easily achievable. Secure mail boxes can normally be fitted in one of two ways: curb side or mounted.

A curb side mailbox is something you might have seen when watching an American film or TV show; the mail man or paper boy delivers mail to a box fixed to a post situated on the boundary between the lawn and pavement, and then flicks up a lever on the side indicating to the home owner that there are items inside the unit ready to be retrieved. These types of mailboxes are becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

A mounted mailbox would normally be located at the front of a property. It can be mounted onto a column or post or even be fitted into the front wall, meaning there is no need to have to go outside to retrieve your mail.

Both mounted and curb side postboxes can be configured with the three main security features mentioned above (locks, restrictor bar and be constructed out of tough material,) leaving you safe in the knowledge that you are less likely to become a victim to identity theft one day.