The United States Postal Inspection Service has been on high alert for increasing mail theft in Philadelphia. Experts provide some safety tips that can help residents and businesses protect their packages.

On the official website of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, mailers can follow recommended postal practices that may prevent theft or missing deliveries.

For packages placed in USPS blue mailboxes, the site encourages that people check the last time of collection before placing their mail. By doing so, senders can feel reassured that the postman is nearby to collect from that location.

As the holiday season can already be a stressful time for some, lost gifts should not be something to worry about. Avoid sending cash by postal service and placing important mail in collection boxes during weekends.

Other safe practices to consider are arranging pickup instructions for packages, holding mail for recipients at a local post office, and requiring a signature confirmation.

Senders can place additional security by using USPS tracking measures to often check on mail status updates. If someone suspects mail theft, authorities recommend they report it immediately.

Before sending any package out into the unknown, Philadelphians may want to keep some photos of their delivery that can assist in finding mail that is lost or stolen.

Since November, the USPS has received multiple cases of missing mail that goes weeks undelivered to its recipients.

Both the Philadelphia Police and USPS inspectors have opened an investigation involving tampered mailboxes in South Philly and other areas.

Victims across the city have voiced concerns about stolen checks that were “washed” and rewritten for a cashout attempt, according to FOX29.

In the fall, Philadelphia also experienced a large amount of opened and unopened mail being dumped in the woods near the city’s Eastwick area. A question that still remains is who is stealing mail?

With these safety tips and inspectors backtracking deliveries, the city hopes to soon see a reduction in mail theft and search for missing packages efficiently.