Police are trying to track down three masked suspects who were recorded using a crowbar to pry open mailboxes in a North Vancouver condo building last month.
Surveillance video shows the trio walking into the lobby of a 1st Street building at around 4:45 a.m. on Feb. 17, then heading straight for a panel of mailboxes.
"You can tell from the video that they've done this before," Sgt. Peter DeVries said in a statement. "They're organized, completely disguised and they work quickly."
All three of the suspects are dressed in black pants and black jackets or hoodies. Despite the suspects' attempts to mask their identities, the RCMP is hopeful someone will recognize something about their appearance and come forward.
"Someone knows them, and we're asking that person to contact us," said DeVries.
The RCMP said mail theft is one way for identity thieves to gather personal information on potential victims, such as names, birthdays, addresses, bank account information and passport numbers.
Using that kind of information, criminals can open up bank accounts, apply for new credit cards and loans, request new passports and even "support terrorist activities," according to police.
North Vancouver RCMP said people can protect themselves by:
- Knowing their credit and debit card billing cycles
- Shredding personal documents before throwing them out
- Notifying the post office and financial institutions when changing addresses
- Putting a hold on mail when going on holiday, or having someone collect it dail
