As kids most of us were lucky enough to receive a few bucks in cash in a birthday card from our grandparents.  For me – I got a crisp dollar bill for each year I was alive. Grandparents do this despite warnings from the United States Postal Service not to send cash in the mail.

The Reason

Sometimes the reason is obvious and the case of not sending cash in the mail is as well – because people steal mail. It is an unfortunate truth that has gone on for years. In addition to seeking cash, mail thieves seek personal information they can use for a different type of crime – identity theft.

Stolen Mail - The Numbers

Mail theft, a crime once punishable by death in the U.S., has long been a thorn in the government's side. In an average year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service arrests about 12,000 people, nearly half for mail theft or possession of stolen mail.

In the last decade, mail theft arrests have actually declined, from roughly 6,300 in 2001 to 3,500 in 2010. At the same time, however, less mail has gone out — 171 billion pieces delivered in 2010, compared with 207.5 billion in 2001 — as people rely less on traditional mail and more on electronic communications.

But while snail mail loses its luster with the public, it remains a hot commodity for thieves. Despite the decline – get your mail daily and do not send cash!