U.S. mail carrier Jeremiah Grant was approached by a masked man in 2022. “He had a gun pointed at me,” Grant said. “I just kind of froze.” The attacker demanded Grant hand over his universal mailbox keys, as arrow keys. One arrow key can open many mailboxes in a delivery area. A Scripps News investigation found an increasing number of letter carriers being targeted by criminals seeking arrow keys. In 2021, 132 arrow keys were snatched away from mail carriers. By 2023, that number had more than tripled to 418, says the the Postal Inspection Service. Arrow keys have been stolen from letter carriers in 39 states and Washington, D.C.
“They are very high in demand from the criminals,” said David Maimon of the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University, who monitors thousands of underground markets online used to sell illegal goods. "The arrow keys popped up, I would say, a year and a half ago,” Maimon said. “Criminals were selling those arrow keys for a wide range of prices, starting from $1,000 to $7,000.”
Photos of keys for sale online show the letters “USPS” engraved on them as well as an arrow. Because the design of the keys differs by region, sellers will indicate where they supposedly work. One of the keys going for $4,500 includes a reference to a specific ZIP code. The keys ae worth so much because they allow quick access to stacks of mail without anyone having to break into a mailbox. “Mail theft becomes extremely popular simply because of the amount of money you can make,” Maimon said. The same online markets selling arrow keys also are offering checks that appear to be stolen from the mail, Maimon said, citing a $3 million IRS check. There also are handwritten personal checks for sale for much smaller amounts that fraudsters alter and cash for a higher sum in a process known as check washing. The Postal Service has launched an initiative called Project Safe Delivery, installing more-secure blue collection boxes in high theft areas and replacing 28,000 arrow keys with electronic locks.
Comentários