CAPE CORAL, Fla. — It’s that time of year when we break out a fresh pen and buy a new book of stamps to send holiday greetings to loved ones all over the country.  

For many, that often includes a little something extra — like some cash, a check or even a gift card.  

That’s exactly what crooks are looking for in your mailbox as the holiday-sending season ramps up to its peak.  

“Mailboxes are easy pickings for thieves,” Sam Yaffey said.  

Everyone has one. Everyone uses one. And most often, they’re left unlocked and unattended for nearly all of the day.  

In Cape Coral, at least two instances of mail theft have occurred. One resulted in several holiday cards turning up missing and never making it to their final destination.  

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“One had a check. Two did not. All three were never received,” Doreen Tolley said.  

Tolley is referring to some holiday cars she mailed a few weeks back.  

Somehow, some way, the cards seemingly vanished into thin air. And it’s not the first time either.  

“I had a couple of friends that mailed me Easter cards. I didn’t get them,” she said. 

She wasn’t born last night, so she knew something was up, that someone was likely looking in her mailbox posed along Ceitus Parkway.  

It’s not a hunch, she has proof.  

“Anything that’s in a business envelope gets delivered,” Tolley said. “But if it’s in an envelope that looks like a card, it’s not getting delivered.” 

Cape Coral police say this isn’t the only case. The driver of a black Mercedes Benz sedan is accused of reaching inside mailboxes off Santa Barbara Boulevard in southeast Cape. That person got away with a mortgage check.  

“They’re crooks. Crooks are crooks,” Yaffey said. “We found all kinds of mail strewn all over the neighborhood that had obviously been gone through, ripped open.” 

The United States Postal Inspection Services said you can help prevent this from happening.  

One of the biggest things: don’t mail cash. You can also request a signature for delivery and hold your mail if you’ll be out of town for the holidays. Doing these things can slam the door on would-be stealers.  

Stealing mail is a federal crime. If you’re caught, you could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.