PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — A Rocklin resident was arrested after stolen mail was found in their car during a traffic stop in Granite Bay, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
Deputies pulled over a driver around 1 a.m. in Granite Bay and found several W-2 forms and other financial forms. They also found 50 pieces of unopened mail and six pieces of opened mail addressed to people in Placer and Sacramento counties.
Jacklyn Patrick, a 43-year-old from Rocklin, was arrested on suspicion of felony identity theft and an additional felony warrant.
The sheriff's office says thieves use the information to open up credit cards or file for money, and typically, these thefts pick up during tax season.
"We're asking the community to be vigilant. If they don't have a lock to their mailbox, to go ahead to upgrade to a locked mailbox. They also have the option to sign up for USPS informed delivery, which is a really cool piece of technology where you'll receive emails daily on what to expect in the mail," said Angela Musallaum, spokesperson for the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
The deputy who made the stop has returned the stolen mail to USPS, and it will make it's way back to its rightful owners. It's potentially saving them thousands of dollars and a big headache.
People can sign up for USPS Informed Delivery, which is a free service that will send a preview of what to expect in your mailbox so you can keep track of what should be in the mail.
Anyone who thinks that are a victim of identity mail theft in Placer County, please file a report HERE.
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