Heading out of the country? You need to manage your mail while traveling.
International travel is at an all-time high. A record 99.94 million Americans are taking overseas trips in 2024. With more and more people leaving their mailboxes unattended each year, a big problem has emerged.
Mail theft is up 400% since 2019.
Wait, what? Yup. The second you leave your home for your big trip abroad, that mailbox out front is a target. Thieves know where to find mail and valuable personal information inside.
Don’t worry though, it’s not hard to keep that mail safe while you’re gone. In fact, there are simple solutions you can implement before your trip to protect your information.
Here’s the lowdown on managing mail while traveling.
What You’re Going To Learn:
- Why Unattended Mail Creates Serious Risk
- The Best Mail Management Options For Travelers
- How To Set Up Mail Protection Before Your Trip
- What To Do When You Return Home
Why Unattended Mail Creates Serious Risk
Let’s jump right in…
Stacking mail in your mailbox is basically a neon “kick me” sign for burglars. It’s a sign that no one is home. And these days criminals know what they’re looking for.
Just think about the mail that’s typically coming to your home: bank statements, credit cards offers, tax records, medical bills, checks, and much more. All these items are full of personal data that can be exploited for identity theft and other fraud.
It’s getting bad.
According to new data, the number of mail theft cases is up significantly nationwide. Residential mailbox thefts are up in particular. Criminals are targeting empty mailboxes to commit check fraud, credit card fraud, and other crimes. Last year check fraud alone resulted in over $688 million in suspicious transactions.
And if you’re gone for two weeks over in Europe, three weeks out in Asia… That’s a ton of fresh mail out there waiting to be stolen.
Pretty terrifying, huh?
The Best Mail Management Options For Travelers
The good news is that you have several options to keep your mail safe while traveling abroad. It’s just a matter of choosing the right solution.
USPS Hold Mail Service
The first is a free option from the United States Postal Service. USPS will hold all your mail for 3 to 30 days at your local post office until you return from your trip.
All you need to do is request a mail hold online or in person at your post office. The post carrier will suspend mail delivery to your address. You can then pick up your accumulated mail once you return or have it delivered to your home in one batch.
The downside to this? You obviously can’t access any of your mail while you are on vacation. If you need something urgent to be sent to you while traveling you will need to access a physical copy of the document yourself when you return.
Ask A Trusted Neighbor Or Friend
Ok, this is simple. You know who I’m talking about. You just need someone you trust to stop by your mailbox and collect your mail every day.
They can sift through it and notify you if anything is important.
Make sure you actually trust this individual though. You’re basically giving them access to your sensitive documents.
Get A P.O. Box Or Virtual Mailbox
If you are a frequent traveler, this is probably your best option for the long term. There are several great reasons to get a PO box when you travel internationally. Having a private and dedicated address for your mail keeps your home address secure and provides professional storage and security for your mail.
Virtual mailbox services take this a step further. They will scan your physical mail and provide you with an electronic preview of all your mail items from anywhere in the world. This allows you to easily view, open, shred, or forward mail from any location.
Super helpful if you are a business traveler or digital nomad living abroad long term.
How To Set Up Mail Protection Before Your Trip
Don’t procrastinate on this! Here are the steps you should take at least one week before you leave for your trip.
Step 1: Review What Mail You’re Expecting
Take an inventory of your subscriptions, bills, and any special mail you are expecting to be delivered while you are gone. Are there important documents coming while you are away? Call the sender or financial institution to request a hold on delivery or if they offer electronic delivery to sign up for that option.
Step 2: Switch To Paperless Statements
You can switch most of your banking and financial accounts over to electronic statements instead of paper. Make this change on as many accounts as you can before you travel. The less paper-based mail you get, the less risk you have.
Step 3: Set Up Your Chosen Mail Solution
This is where you request your post office to hold your mail or ask a neighbor to pick up mail. Set up the system you want to use for your trip and ensure it’s ready and confirmed before you leave. Test it out if possible.
Step 4: Pause Package Deliveries
Any subscriptions that deliver physical goods? Pause them. If you use a service like Amazon or Audible where your account delivers things regularly, pause that service while you’re gone. No deliveries equals less signs of an empty house.
Step 5: Inform Your Bank
Tell your bank you will be traveling overseas. This will avoid any fraud alerts being set on your account and make them more likely to monitor for any suspicious activity on your accounts while you’re gone.
What To Do When You Return Home
Your trip is over. What now?
Don’t just rip open your mail right away. Take the time to carefully sort and review everything that accumulated while you were away. Look for any obvious signs of tampering, missing items, or suspicious packages.
Here’s a quick checklist:
- Check for any bills with due dates coming up
- Look through bank and credit card statements for suspicious transactions
- Scan for any government agency or other important notices
- Confirm that anything you were expecting actually arrived
- Report anything suspicious to the postal inspection service immediately
If anything seems fishy, trust your gut and take action. The faster you deal with potential mail theft, the better chance you have to stop or reverse any damage.
Additional Security Measures Worth Considering
Beyond just dealing with your mail, take a few more steps to protect yourself while traveling overseas.
Set up USPS Informed Delivery. If you haven’t signed up already, this free service from the US Postal Service will email you photos of all mail that’s arriving. You can then monitor what’s coming even while you’re out of the country.
Install a locking mailbox. If you frequently travel, it may be worth the investment in a locking mailbox. These have reinforced construction and require a key to open. You can assign that key to a neighbor or family member if you need them to access your mailbox.
Use a mail forwarding service. Some virtual mailbox providers also offer forwarding of urgent mail to your international location if necessary.
Wrapping Things Up
It’s not hard to deal with your mail when traveling abroad. You just need to plan for it.
The worst thing you can do is nothing. An empty and unattended mailbox is asking for trouble. And that trouble can have serious security and safety consequences for you when you come home.
Let’s quickly recap:
- Plan and set up mail protection at least one week before you leave
- Choose the right option for your trip length and frequency
- Switch any accounts you can to electronic statements
- Check and review all your mail carefully on your return
- Report any suspicious items or activity ASAP
International travel is at record levels and the number of people facing this problem is only going to increase. The smart travelers are those that are addressing this now.
Don’t let mail management ruin an otherwise epic trip.
