Secure Your Letterbox and Prevent Fishing
With post theft on the rise in the UK due to more people receiving deliveries and the increasing trend of stealing bank details and personal letters to carry out identity theft, it’s critical to be vigilant when it comes to theft proofing the letterbox. There are things you can do to protect your post whether you have a wall-mounted letterbox, a free-standing letterbox, or just a letter plate on your front door!
Wall Mounted Letterbox
A wall mounted post box is fitted externally or internally onto your property wall and is a secure letterbox option! They usually feature a letterbox plate at the top for the postman to deliver your letters, which are secured in a lockable box underneath. Wall-mounted letterboxes can be fitted as a single item or in multiples, which makes them great for people who live in shared occupancy or where there is a lobby for a block of flats.
Why use a Wall Mounted Letterbox?
A shocking 74% of burglaries take place through the front door, so it’s vital homeowners do all that they can to prevent their home being an easy target for thieves. Wall mounted letterboxes are more secure than a letter plate on your front door and will help prevent your home being targeted for several reasons.
To Prevent Fishing:
If there is no letter plate fixed onto your door there is no way a thief can peer into your home through the door and go ‘fishing’. Fishing is a technique used by burglars where they thread a long wire with a hook on the end to capture things in your home such as your house keys, car keys etc. giving them access to all your valuables.
To Prevent Thieves from Unlocking Your Door:
If there is no letterbox for thieves to put their hands and tools inside there is a less chance of them gaining access to your property. Many thieves unfortunately have figured out that if they can access the interior lock, such as a thumb turn lock through the letterbox plate, they can gain easy access to their victim’s home.
Energy Efficient:
As well as helping keep your home secure, wall mounted letterboxes help reduce heating bills as there will be no hole in the door from which the heat can escape!
Things to Consider when Purchasing a Wall Mounted Letterbox
If you are purchasing a new wall mounted letterbox it is important to consider these three things:
Size:
Will your new post-box fit the usual post that you receive? Remember to include magazine subscriptions that are at least A4.
Lock:
The more secure the lock the better, this helps prevent thieves gaining access to your private information. It is worth investing in an anti-snap lock, keep your eyes peeled for an anti-snap blog coming soon!
Finish:
Ensure the post-box is made from a durable, weatherproof material especially if your wall mounted post box is fitted to the exterior of the property.
Free Standing Letterbox
In terms of protecting your home and the factors to consider when purchasing one, freestanding letterboxes are very similar to wall-mounted letterboxes. They are preferred for those who have long driveways or gated homes because they eliminate the need for the postman to walk right up to your property and are often a very attractive addition to your home. Furthermore, free-standing letterboxes are frequently available in larger sizes for those who require them.
Door Letterbox
If adding a wall mounted or freestanding letterbox isn’t an option, there are several things you can do to protect your home as best you can.
Hide your Valuables:
The simplest way you can improve your security is by hiding your valuables and keys out of sight. If a burglar cannot easily see or reach valuables in your home through the letterbox or the window they will most likely give up and carry on.
Letterbox Cowl or Guard:
Adding a letterbox cowl to the internal side of your front door prevents burglars from being able to see inside your home and prevents them from sticking their arm inside. Burglars won’t be tempted to steal what they can’t see!
Letterbox Cage:
This fits around your letterbox on the internal side of the door and prevents post from falling to the floor as well as preventing burglars’ arms or tools from sneaking in!
Letterbox Homeguard:
Like the cage, a homeguard is a fire-retardant bag that fits around the letterbox on the interior side of the door. Unfortunately, there are reports of homeowners being attacked with lit objects and fireworks being posted through their letterboxes, a letterbox homeguard will help keep the home safe from these attacks.
Burglary Prevention
Letterboxes are found in most houses, either in the door or mounted on the wall and it’s important to make sure they are secure.
Here are some points for you to consider when securing your letter box.
- If you are away for some time, then leaflets and newspapers may be pushed through the door and build up. This will let potential burglars know that the house is unoccupied.
- If possible, install a letter box that has nylon bristles, this prevents drafts, but also stops burglars looking through into your home.
- It’s best to keep any keys, especially car keys, away from the front door. Burglars use a technique called fishing to reach them through the letter box.
- Install a restrictor or cowls to make your letterbox more secure. The design of these has improved over the years. These restrictors limit the inside opening of the letterplate or letterbox and prevent occupant visibility. It also minimizes the likelihood of lock manipulation, fishing, and vandalism. Another key benefit is the ability to adjust for full closure, partial restriction, or complete opening.
- You can purchase anti burglar plates that meet a TS008 compliance standards.
- If you’re worried about anti-social behaviour, then you can install a fire-resistant self-extinguishing bag that will collect post as well as protecting your home.
- If you are really worried about your letterbox being a security weakness in your home, then consider getting rid of it and replacing it with a standalone letterbox.
Place a smart doorbell, such as a Ring camera, near your letterbox to record any activity. If anything is stolen or goes missing, you will have critical evidence to be able to report the incident.
Fishing
Fishing is technique used by burglars to retrieve your car keys, wallet, or purse. They fish a long, hooked, metal rod through your letter box, swipe your keys and make off with your car or personal belongings. This means you need to install a letter plate that has added security features as well as an internal and external flap that can withstand thousands of openings without breaking. A weak plate is more likely to be broken or removed, giving burglars better access to your home.
Drop Boxes
The Covid-19 pandemic means less and less of us are going to the shops, the result of this means that we have turned to online shopping more and more. You might not always be in when your packages are delivered, and some delivery firms will leave your package on the doorstep in full view. Even if the package is hidden, a chancing thief might have a search for an unattended parcel. Hopefully you’ve not had to deal with a pinched parcel, but there are a few choices for preventing package thefts; well-placed CCTV cameras, gates and package drop boxes. These parcels drop boxes are one of the most effective ways to stop someone stealing your deliveries.
There are a few things to consider when buying a drop box.
Space:
You need to be sure that whatever box you get works with the space you have. Some could be too big or are fitted in a way that won’t work for your needs, or it could be that you just don’t find the shape or style attractive. Some are also installed to be permanent and hard to remove, which might put you off.
Effectiveness:
a drop box is useless unless your delivery person knows that; A) they need to use it and B) how to use it. All the major delivery companies, UPS, Hermes, FedEx etc have the options to give instructions to delivery drivers, so it’s worth checking that a delivery service you use most can be told about your drop box.
Security:
how will the drop box lock? Some boxes will come with the traditional latch for a padlock, while padlocks are secure, it can be a hassle changing the code and once your delivery person knows the code, it could be insecure. More modern lock boxes may be fitted with Wi-Fi enabled locks that have a built-in scanner that can be opened when the delivery person scans your packages.
For more information on how to secure your front door, look at our Front Door Security Guide!
Flaplocks
The Flaplock is a lockable internal letter flap that is installed on the inside of front doors to help reduce the risk of arson, fishing items through the letter flap, and lock bumping to gain access to the property. They can bolster your letterbox’s security drastically and are recommended to everyone.
The product has adjustable catches that allow users to set the Flaplock to locked (typically overnight) or unlocked (when expecting mail, e.g., in the morning). The Flaplock is attached to the back of the door with a pair of industrial-strength adhesive pads that firmly secure the item to the door.
Police Approved Post Box
The government has stated that it’s considering changing the law so that letter boxes on new builds can no longer be low level. The new rules are likely to be like European standards, which require letterboxes to be between 0.7m and 1.7m tall as of the legislation law in 2019. This was the result of pressure from mail workers’ unions, who had been complaining about back pain brought on by constant bending over.
It’s worth staying up to date to whether these new regulations will come into play to ensure that your letter box is a Police approved post box!
Make sure you are compliant with all UK letterbox law by following the guidelines.
Keytek® Locksmiths
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Kim Freeman
Kim is Keytek’s longest-serving security blogger, with nearly a decade of hands-on experience in the security industry. Over the past 9 years, she has built trusted relationships with locksmiths and security professionals across the UK, giving her exclusive insight into the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in home security.
From traditional burglary prevention methods to cutting-edge smart home solutions, Kim covers it all. As part of her role, she regularly reviews the newest home security gadgets on the market—including smart doorbells, security cameras, and more—bringing readers honest, practical advice on how to protect their homes.
Kim’s passion for security was sparked during her time at the University of Chester, where she learned first-hand how vulnerable student housing can be to break-ins. That early experience inspired a lifelong interest in home protection, eventually leading her to join the team at Keytek.
Today, Kim combines her deep industry knowledge with a love for writing to deliver helpful, accessible content for homeowners across the UK. You can read all of her expert advice and top security tips at Keytek.co.uk, where she shares everything from seasonal safety guides to reviews of the best security products on the market.
