Perth Voice Interactive

MAIL thieves are targeting credit cards in West Perth.

On Monday, Perth MP John Carey hosted a packed-out community safety forum in the suburb and locals said mail theft was a major issue. 

“Crime has declined in West Perth in comparison to previous years,” Mr Carey says. “The key issue that was raised – and police have been running operations on this in the past and dealing with it – is theft from apartment letterboxes…that was the overwhelming complaint.”

“It seems this particular crime has escalated with the rise of tap and go credit cards—you don’t need a pin.

“Some are automatically approved and so people are breaking in, getting either cash if it’s sent, or going for the card and using that for up to $100.”

He said “police have been doing a good job—they had success in East Perth, they busted people doing this.”

Some residents have resorted to installing locks on their letterboxes, but the Voice witnessed a dodgy gent banging on a mailbox lock with a big rock across from Hyde Park.

“Some apartments are changing their security, either installing CCTV or moving the letterboxes to a more secure location,” says Mr Carey.

Grouped mailboxes inside a gated-apartment complex are a goldmine for thieves, and they wait for a resident to go in and tailgate them.

WA police minister Michelle Roberts and local police attended the safety forum.

Officers encouraged residents to report every crime so they can build-up accurate statistics and focus resources.

Mail theft is also an issue in East Perth, and Maylands had a serial mail thief operating during Christmas last year.

Earlier this year police caught a prolific offender nicking letters in Claremont and Crawley.

by DAVID BELL