Bpost to secure red public mailboxes across Belgium

Every three days on average, thieves use stolen mail to rob thousands of euros from unsuspecting Belgians, according to new figures from the national postal service Bpost. The thieves remove bills containing money transfer requests from the many red public mailboxes scattered across the country, and then change the company account number to their own. Bpost plans to put a stop to the fraud with the installation of electronic locks on 2,500 mailboxes by the end of this year, write Het Laatste Nieuws and De Morgen.

The 'fishing' of invoices from public mailboxes has been a problem for several years, says Bpost. One victim shared his experience with the postal company: "In three weeks, I apparently paid €60,023.50 to an unknown account. Several companies sent me default notices for all of my 'unpaid' bills.”

Bpost is currently working on providing additional security for the red mailboxes, says Alexander De Croo, the federal minister in charge of postal services. "By the end of this year, 2,500 mailboxes will be equipped with an electronic lock," he confirms, adding that “some locations will get a completely new type of mailbox.”