If you worry about the security of your mail, the chances are that you’ve already invested in a locking mailbox.
What you may not know is that many locking mailboxes don’t have unique keys but are mass produced to use one of a set number of keys.
This number can be as low as twelve, making it easy for a determined thief to obtain and carry round a full set of keys, in which case your mailbox may as well not have a lock at all!
And even where unique keys are used, locks of this type are relatively easy to break into. If you’re serious about security, you should consider getting a combination lock.
Using a combination lock for your mailbox may seem a little extreme, but when you consider that, at times, that mailbox may well contain the kind of documents which you’d normally keep in a safe, it starts to make more sense.
What’s more, the sight of a lock like this will make it clear to potential thieves that you’re serious about your security. There will always be easier targets for them to try.
A combination lock is, of course, only as secure as the number used to open it. Think carefully about this when you set your combination.
Bear in mind that mailbox thieves are often from the local neighborhood and may well be privy to basic information about you and your family.
This means that, for example, using your children’s birthdays is a bad idea. Try to come up with a random number which you’ll be able to remember.
If you need to keep a note of it, make sure this is in a safe place in your house. For extra security, change your mailbox combination every few months.
Combination locks are the best way to protect vulnerable mailboxes in the modern age. Don’t wait until you lose your mail to think about getting one.
