Someone was getting into apartment mailboxes in Glendale, California. Police say what investigators eventually uncovered went well beyond stolen letters.
Five men are accused in an operation involving mail theft, stolen personal information and fraudulently obtained credit cards, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Investigators say the suspects used other people’s identifying information to apply for credit cards and had the cards mailed to units at the same apartment complex. Police also discovered that mailbox keyholes had been tampered with and replaced with “dummy” keyholes that allegedly gave the group unauthorized access to residents’ mail.
Search warrants served Aug. 13 led police to what they described as a significant quantity of other people’s personal information, numerous credit cards, devices capable of re-encoding cards, cash and gold. Investigators have not announced a total financial loss or the number of people whose identities may have been compromised.
Reports of Missing Mail Started the Investigation
The investigation centered on a multi-unit apartment complex in the 500 block of West Colorado Street in Glendale. The Glendale Police Department said detectives began investigating after receiving reports that unknown people were accessing and removing mail from residents’ apartment mailboxes. As Financial Crimes Unit detectives investigated, they identified multiple suspects and connected them to particular units inside the apartment complex.
Detectives say the suspects were using personal identifying information belonging to other people to fraudulently obtain credit cards. Those cards were then mailed to units within the complex. Investigators also discovered an unusual method for maintaining access to the mailboxes. Police say keyholes had been tampered with and replaced with “dummy” keyholes, allowing unauthorized access to residents’ mail.
Detectives served multiple search warrants at the complex on Aug. 13 as the investigation expanded. Police said they recovered a significant amount of personal identifying information belonging to other people, numerous credit cards and credit card re-encoding devices. Cash and gold were also found during the searches. Investigators are examining the evidence to determine the full scope of the alleged activity.
Five Glendale Men Were Arrested
Police arrested five Glendale residents: Razmik Barseghyan, 36; Robert Poghosyan, 27; Vahan Kalashyan, 35; Armen Harutyunyan, 26; and Artyom Militonyan, 27.
They were booked into the Glendale Police Jail on various fraud, identity-theft and burglary-related accusations. Police did not announce identical individual charges for each man in their initial release.
The investigation is continuing as detectives try to identify additional people whose personal information may have been used to obtain fraudulent credit cards or carry out other financial activity. Anyone with information about the case can contact the Glendale Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit at 818-548-4840.
Police Are Still Trying to Determine the Size of the Scheme
The evidence recovered during the searches could determine how large the case ultimately becomes. Glendale Police have not released a total number of victims or an estimated dollar loss.
The department said the case is expected to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. The five men have been arrested, but the accusations against them have not been proven in court.
What to Do if Mail or a Credit Card Goes Missing
Mailbox theft can become an identity-theft problem before a victim realizes anything financial has happened. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends collecting mail promptly and contacting the sender if an expected check, credit card or other valuable item does not arrive. Suspected mail theft can also be reported to Postal Inspectors.
Residents who notice a damaged, altered or unfamiliar lock on a shared mailbox should avoid trying to confront anyone accessing it and report the problem to their property manager and appropriate authorities. The Postal Inspection Service advises contacting police immediately when someone is actively tampering with a mailbox.
If missing mail contained sensitive information, or an unfamiliar credit card or other account appears in someone’s name, the risk extends beyond the mailbox itself. The Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov guidance recommends reviewing credit reports for accounts that are not recognized and placing a free credit freeze with the three nationwide credit bureaus when personal information may have been compromised.