Police push for electronic envelope in Operation Gulliver

The future of paper-based mail could be under threat as NSW police force steer residents away from the letterbox in the fight against identity theft.

Following a spate of mail theft in Sydney, police from the Harbourside Local Area Command have teamed up with investigators from the Corporate Security Section of Australia Post to conduct Operation Gulliver.

According to a statement from the NSW police force, the operation is specifically targeting the theft of cheques and other items of value from private mailboxes.

Inquiries by police have revealed that stolen cheques are being altered or counterfeited and laundered through false bank accounts opened by 'runners' as part of an organised criminal enterprise.

Other documents, such as electricity bills or bank correspondence, are often stolen to facilitate the creation of those fake accounts.

In an interview with the ABC, Detective inspector Bob Monk suggested that people use internet banking as a safer option. "That old adage that the cheques in the mail has become quite precarious," he said.

"We believe that they should move to the electronic banking system. We believe that it's far more secure though it does have some issues."

Australia Post does not appear to be concerned about the possible ramifications this could have to its business. A spokesperson told Print21 that: “We are not concerned about this. We believe people prefer to receive their banking details via mail either to keep for their records or for security purposes. As a result, we do not expect mail volumes to drop.”

Peter Milburn, (pictured) managing director of Computershare, a provider of investor  and one-to-one communication services, which has been a strong advocate of delivery via online mediums, believes it is only logical that more people will opt for online mail.

"Cheques in the mail are really outdated and Computershare have been working with its client base for over a decade to mandate direct credit, particularly derived from companies dividends, but this can equally apply to the government, commercial customers, superannuation, insurance and health care sectors who would been seen as the major originators of rebates," he said.

Milburn added that Computershare has witnessed a dramatic reduction in paper volumes, supported by the postal authorities financial reporting in America, UK and Europe.

John Gillroy of Major Mail Users group, fears that advocating electronic-based mail may lead to a drop in employment for those in the industry, while not eliminating the problem of identity theft. “It’s a knee-jerk reaction that doesn’t consider the more important aspect of job protection,” he said. “Mail has flow-on impact in many areas of our community.”