VANDAL PROOF

	Established 1948 Academy Mail Box Co., Inc. Academy Intercom Co., Inc. Academy Engravers LLC Intercoms • Mailboxes • CCTV • Access Control • Engravings

Before reading what we have to say about Identity Theft, click on these links to see what the United States Postal Service and other Government organizations are saying:

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/idthft_ncpw.htm

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

Read these newsprint articles from around the country on the fastest growing crime in America:

http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/44884

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/6907496p-7857039c.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/18/BA294797.DTL

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/17/eveningnews/main559115.shtml

http://www.hesperiastar.com/story.php?id=179_0_1_0_M

Our latest ad:

Academy Mailbox Company Inc. Established 1948
120-10 15TH AVE, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356
PHONE 718.539.1000 - FAX 718.359.3539 - WWW.ACADEMYMAILBOX.COM
INTERCOM & VIDEO INTERCOM SYSTEMS, GOVERNMENT APPROVED MAILBOXES, DIRECTORIES, ENGRAVED NAMEPLATES

With over 7 Million cases...
IDENTITY THEFT
was the most reported crime in 2003.
Apartment mailboxes have become the source of information for identity thieves.
Academy became aware of this problem last year when we began receiving a higher volume of calls for mailbox service due to break-ins. Often, the same mailboxes are being broken into time and again, as the thieves compile the information they need. What's worse is that many mailboxes are so easy to open that no one realizes a theft has occurred.
Identity Theft has become so widespread that, together with our mailbox supplier and the U.S. Postal Service, we have developed a new line of vandal resistant products that are available for all new, and most old mailboxes.
For additional information and to learn how to easily detect break-ins, visit our website at www.academymailbox.com/vandal.htm or give us a call at (718) 539-1000 Monday Through Friday 7AM - 4PM.
For the past 55 years, Academy has specialized in the sale, service, and installation of apartment house mailboxes and mail delivery systems. Academy uses premium quality American Device mailboxes. When ordered with vault-style triple point locking doors and a vandal resistant Postal Access Door Kit, they are the strongest and most vandal resistant mailboxes available.

This recently installed section of our web site is devoted entirely to making your mailbox, either new or used, as vandal resistant as possible.

Identity Theft was the most reported crime in 2002. There were over 700,000 cases nationwide. In fact, one of our Academy employees who lives in an apartment building had an unauthorized email account opened in his name and several unauthorized charges placed on his credit card. He seems to have caught it in time and he will only be responsible for $50.00 toward the charges, however he does not know how much information these thieves have and when they will strike again.

Preventing Identity Theft starts with preventing the theft from getting any of your information. This crime is not going to go away; in fact last year Identity Theft was up 184%.

Here are some tips on how to detect break-ins.

When you go to get your mail is your individual mailbox door or the main mailbox door ever open?

If the answer is yes you may have a problem. The combination of very easily pried open mailboxes, and identity thieves being very careful not to cause any damage, so they can come back time and time again as they compile the information they need, is real.

Have you ever not received a credit card bill or your monthly bank statement?

Identity thieves need a lot of information before they can open an account in your name. They will keep a record of your bank and credit card info as they wait for "the good stuff", a social-security or drivers license number to come along.

When writing a check, only use a ball point pen. Never use a felt tip or any type of liquid ink pen.

Identity thieves have learned to "wash checks". When a check is stolen before or after it's cashed, it can be "washed" (all writing removed except the signature) and re issued in a different , usually larger amount.

These Are The Items Necessary In Order To Make Your Mail Vandal Resistant:

Item #1 - Your Buildings Key Keeper

If your existing standard key keeper was opened, your front door key removed and copied, then put back in the box, you would probably never know it. All standard Key Keeper boxes are easy to pop open and the postman will relock it when he comes to your building to deliver the mail.
We have been making our heavy duty key keeper for the past 12 years. To date not one that we have installed has been broken into. Made entirely of 14 gauge stainless steel, they are extremely vandal resistant.
A stainless steel collar, for cosmetic purposes, is also available.

Item #2 - If you have a horizontal box or are purchasing a new horizontal box, you should consider installing a stainless steel Jimmy Guard and Postal Tongue Holder.
These units can be factory installed on new boxes and retrofitted in the field to existing boxes. Either unit is good at and preventing vandalism, however, installing both really locks up the mailboxes tight.

Item #3 - Vertical Boxes are a little harder to secure due to the "flex" that is inherent in their design.
The first thing that has to be done is to make sure that each gang is installed with as little top and bottom clearance as possible. This can be accomplished by installing an angle iron on the top and   bottom of each gang. If properly done, this will eliminate all of the "flex" in the mailbox.
The next thing we do is install a stainless steel plate across the back of all compartments which tightens and    straightens up the entire unit.
The last item, and most important, is the Postal Lock securing bracket.

ARE TOTALLY VANDAL PROOF MAILBOXES AVAILABLE?
NO
BUT NOBODY GETS AS CLOSE AS WE DO.

Pictured above are premium quality American Device Mailboxes.

The mounting cabinet is 2 sheets thick 3/4" plywood laminated in 16 gauge stainless steel. This installation included an optional stainless steel pocket shelf.

Each tenant door is equipped with a Vault Style Triple Point Lock.

The Master Door is beefed up with a 12 gauge stainless steel Jimmy Guard.

Interior modifications include a 12 gauge stainless steel supporting sleeve with a Postal Lock Tongue Holder.

QUESTIONS ?

Call Us, 718 or 212 539-1000 ex 2