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Secure mail boxes from
DAD prevent identity theft
»»TWENTY-FOUR PERCENT OF
British people have been the victim
of identity fraud, which is the
highest figure in Europe; and it is
estimated that identity fraud costs
the UK economy £1.7 billion every
year.
Credit rating agency Experion,
which has studied the issue in
depth and estimates that nearly a
third of cases are perpetrated by
theft of mail – often in flats with
mailboxes in open communal
areas. Sometimes this is achieved
by literally breaking into the mail
box. Sometimes, more worryingly,
the thief simply “fishes” post out
through the mail slot.
The average cost of identity
fraud is £1076 since it typically
takes UK victims seven months to
realise they have become a victim
of identity fraud and, on average,
another three months or more to
resolve the situation.
DAD has been designing and
manufacturing steel security
products since 1872 and was the
first letterboxes and post boxes
manufacturer in Europe, now with
over 1.5 million units produced
every year at its factories in France
and Germany and 700 employees
worldwide and a turnover of over
£60 million, they manufacture an
extensive range which includes firerated and anti-arson postboxes, free
standing post boxes, wall-mounted
and through-the-wall boxes
for residential and commercial
applications.
So, when a London property
management company received
continual complaints from the
residents of a London apartment
building about theft of mail from
the building’s mail boxes, they
looked for a robust, secure mailbox
system that would prevent fishing
and minimise vandalism. The
answer was the fully Secured by
Design accredited DAD009 from
mailbox specialist DAD and its
TS009 mailbox.
Property Management company
Ian Gibbs Estate Management was
very concerned to receive weekly
complaints from the residents
of Bethany House in Enfield that
their mail had been stolen by
fishing the mail out of the slots
or by thieves breaking the boxes’
locks. They turned to Londonbased Architectural Ironmongers
G Johns & Sons to help them find a
solution.
Jeremy Johns at G Johns takes
up the story: “Bethany House is a
very smart residential development
‘Since the
DAD009
boxes have
been fitted
at Bethany
House
there have
been no
incidents
of mail
theft of box
vandalism’
with twelve apartments,” he
says. “But despite the quality of
the development, the original
mailboxes were very bog standard,
and frankly not up to the job.
“The boxes themselves were too
shallow which facilitated fishing,
and the locks were pretty flimsy. We
had already used the DAD009 box
before and knew that it was a much
stronger option with many security
features built in.” Since the DAD009
boxes have been fitted at Bethany
House there have been no incidents
of mail theft or box vandalism.
“The DAD009 is an exceptionally
robust mailbox and is proven
in tough independent tests to
be able to withstand attack and
resist fishing through the slot. It is
manufactured from 1.5mm steel
to ensure it is able to withstand
physical attack with tools, it
features a patented locking and
security device including an
EN1303 lock with 30,000 key
variations, while an anti-theft
device behind the letter flap makes
it impossible to fish the mail out
through the slot.”
‘ten year guarantee
against complete rust’
As well as fully complying with
the TS009:2012 spec, the new DAD
mailbox complies with British
Standard BSEN13724 and all Royal
Mail requirements. It is available as
a single box or a bank of boxes and
is wall mounted either on or in the
wall, and can be sited inside or out.
Like every DAD mailbox, the new
DAD009 has a ten year guarantee
against complete rust – perfect
for the outdoor siting at Bethany
House.
Email [email protected] or
call 01233 630406
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2016
Sponsored by Gretsch-Unitas