Authorities in Sun City West are warning residents about recent thefts from mailboxes.
Sheriff's Posse Commander Dan Fife worries that residents are making the thieves' work too easy by leaving their red mailbox flag up to indicate outgoing mail.
Thousands of dollars’ worth of checks were recently found, apparently dropped by the thief, Fife said.
The thefts have occurred over the past six weeks.
"You have residents who are very trusting because they've lived in communities their whole life where they could do that," Fife said of residents making a habit of leaving their mail flags up, notifying mail carriers and thieves alike.
Fife recommends residents take mail to a post office, drop it off in one of the blue collection boxes, or hand mail directly to a mail carrier.