Masked thieves with what appear to be stolen postal master keys are repeatedly raiding mail in San Jose’s Almaden neighborhood, and now federal postal inspectors are on the case. Residents on Almaden Walk Loop say that since September, two men have been slipping in overnight, opening a community mailbox with a master key and helping themselves to checks, credit cards and other sensitive mail. One community box was left smashed, and neighbors have been forced to pick up their mail at a post office while inspectors dig in. As part of the probe, federal postal inspectors executed a search warrant in the neighborhood last week.
Residents told ABC7 that four separate thefts have hit the block and that two men have been coming overnight to open the community mailbox with a master key. “It doesn’t seem like we have a lot of help,” a resident who identified themselves as Z.L. told the station. Another neighbor, identified as M.J., said residents have installed cameras and reached out to both the Postal Inspection Service and San Jose police but so far see little change.
How to report and what inspectors say
The United States Postal Inspection Service says it is investigating multiple reports of mail theft in San Jose and is urging victims to report incidents through its online portal or by calling 1-877-876-2455. The agency’s reporting page offers separate forms for mail-theft tips, mail-fraud complaints and identity-theft reports, and it directs people to call 911 if a crime is in progress. Postal inspectors say quick reports and clear surveillance footage can be crucial in building a federal case.
Master keys make quick work of cluster boxes
Postal officials warn that “arrow” or master keys – which open entire banks of clustered mailboxes – let thieves clear dozens of households’ mail in just a few minutes. As reported by ABC7 last year, postal inspectors say some letter carriers have been robbed of these keys, which then circulate on an underground market. With a master key, thieves can quietly target checks, credit cards and identity documents without breaking locks. Local reporting has tallied multiple master-key losses in recent years, a pattern inspectors say helps sustain the market for stolen mail.
Legal notes…