Friday, April 17, 2026

Signed, sealed… not delivered? Warning posted on Avenue B mailbox

Photos by Stacie Joy 

There's a notice taped to a USPS mailbox on Avenue B at Eighth Street. 

The sign reads in part: 
WARNING DO NOT MAIL YOUR TAXES HERE!!!!! Last night at 2:30 in the morning I saw a man fishing out mail from the mail box ... 
The person who posted the warning says they plan to report the incident to USPS. (In case you do, too: 212-673-3771.)
Someone also glued the box shut for good measure... ditto for another mailbox on Avenue B and Third Street.

And now an EVG PSA: Use common sense when mailing anything important — and consider bringing sensitive mail directly to a post office... especially your "10 records or tapes for $1" postcard to Columbia House.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Someone needs to get a job or do something else valuable with their time - Geeeze

Scuba Diva said...

It's been a long time since I've used a street-corner mailbox to mail anything; hope they're working on a new design of mailbox that can't be fished.

tom said...

Fishing for mail has been around a long time. I bring any mail to the post office.

hywel dda said...

The mailboxes on 2nd & both 10th St. & St Marks have sticky goo on the mail slots. The box on 3rd Ave last week had goo & someone had tried to slide in a plastic mailing envelope. It stuck.
I'd say go to a Post Office but about 3 years ago I mailed Fed & State taxes, my rent check and ConEd payment in the Cooper Square mail slot. None were received.
I do everything online now.

Andrew Porter said...

I never ever mail anything in a mail box on the corner any more. Also, many boxes where I live have been removed, because of this problem.

Scuba Diva said...

I have good results (so far) sending things from East Village Postal.

Mitchell said...

I believe this has been an issue for a while in the city. There are some gangs that make six figures per month on mail-related NYC check fraud.

Unfortunately, it is not getting the coverage it receives. There was a journalist who was trying to track them down, but the gang members pointed a gun in his face, and the coverage has since stopped.

I'm not going to mention the specific name of the group who is doing this, as I believe it will lead to my comment being taken down - but the information is out there!

Anonymous said...

I've had the same experience at Cooper Square. I told the manager and he was very defensive. It's probably an ongoing problem. But I've never had a check washed. So it might just be sloppy workers.

Trixie said...

These new boxes are supposed to be more tamper proof, and I sure hope they are, because in a weak moment yesterday I put something in the box on 12th Street and Avenue A. Gulp!

Anonymous said...

The fraud that happened around COVID is astonishing, hundred of billions.

Carol from East 5th Street said...

The mailbox on E5th Street often has sticky stuff inside the mail slot. I now get in my steps in by going to the post office. Not easy for the elders in the community to do.

Anonymous said...

PSA: Don't fall for that old Columbia House scam! Read the fine print! Some shyster called "BMG" makes a similar offer.