Residents’ confidential data left exposed after SingPost mailman leaves letterboxes unlocked

Singapore Post (SingPost) has been called out for poor service yet again, after a Singaporean found that the door to a group of letterboxes had been left wide open. The mail in the letterboxes, that could have contained residents’ confidential information, was left completely exposed.

Criticising the postal service company, which is an associate company of Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), Facebook user Ridhwan Sudni shared a picture of the exposed mail and wrote:

“Singpost Wake up your idea. On many occasions, you left a note on my door to inform me to pick up my packages at the nearest post office, even when my family is at home.

“Now, unlocked letter box door. Important letters with resident’s credentials is left exposed. Looks like your postman really wants to get the job done fast to head back early.”

The Independent contacted SingPost about this matter and were told that a staff member was promptly sent to the site to investigate the matter. Revealing that the staff found that the locking mechanism of the door was faulty, a SingPost spokesperson told us:

“After being alerted to the incident, a staff member was immediately dispatched to the block, where he found that the locking mechanism of the door was faulty. The lock has since been repaired, and the mailboxes have been secured immediately.”

The SingPost spokesperson added that mailbox security is one of the key areas it is looking at, as part of its operational review:

“We would like to assure the public that mailbox security is a key area we are addressing, as part of our operational review. We urge residents to call our hotline at 1605 whenever they spot such incidents, so that we can take timely action.”

This latest incident could join a series of lapses by SingPost that led to intense public backlash against the company, from the start of 2019:

https://theindependent.sg.sg/singpost-responds-to-allegation-that-it-took-four-months-to-process-government-letter/

https://theindependent.sg.sg/this-is-not-a-recent-problem-netizens-slam-singpost-despite-apology-and-admission-that-it-should-have-done-better/

https://theindependent.sg.sg/netizens-call-on-the-authorities-to-investigate-singpost-for-nearly-duping-small-business-owner-of-7000/

https://theindependent.sg.sg/singpost-caught-red-handed-trying-to-fool-business-owner-who-paid-7000-that-they-distributed-his-flyers-when-they-did-not/