(Image source from: Several mailboxes stolen from Phoenix neighborhood)

A rather strange incident in a Phoenix neighborhood has left the dwellers scratching their head.

It all began when a neighbor spotted something queer near 41st Avenue and Thunderbird Road.

"It was a small grey car, like a Ford Fiesta, driving by, with a woman and man inside, and they threw a bunch of envelopes on the ground," he explains.

When the man picked the mail, he was surprised to see his wife's image imprinted on what seemed to be Christmas Cards. On closer look, he realized, it was his mail with his wife's name and address on it.

Even his former co-worker found his mail two miles away. When he came to return it, the truth finally dawned upon them.

"Turned out to be pieces of mail from pretty much everybody in the neighborhood," points out Russ, who lives in the neighborhood and also had his outgoing mail stolen.

In fact, the several mail boxes in the 35th Street to 59th Street and Yucca to Peoria were stolen.

But the crooks didn't just get away with Larry's Christmas cards, but gift cards, checks and who knows what else.

"You throw stuff in the mailbox and you don't really remember what you put in there," says George Morgan, one of the neighbors who had his mail stolen.

In Russ's case, the thief was discovered.

"Picked up my name, address and bank account numbers, you know all those things you really kinda like to keep private," he says. “What have I exposed myself to? And what kind of damage can these people do to me?"

The answer is a lot! Stolen mail, from outside your home, happens more than you think.

It's why Sgt. Steve Martos with the Phoenix Police Department says it's important to act fast, "have people check on their credit score, check their credit cards, and make sure there are not any other accounts that are being opened up.”

"But, that's not free, you have to pay for it," says Russ, who agrees paying to keep yourself safe is important.

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury