A woman says some bold thieves recently came right up to her front door and took her outgoing mail. It has her wondering about the growing problem of mail theft around the Las Vegas valley.

Action News reporter Tina Patel has a few ways to protect yourself. Dalene Harrison has found a way to make a little extra money in this economy.

"I sell things on Ebay, it supplements my retirement income," said Dalene.

Harrison prints postage from her home, using the postal service website. Then she leaves her boxes for her carrier to pick up.

"It's a great service, I really like it. It saves me a lot of time, I don't have to go to the post office every day to take my packages," said Harrison.

Last week, a few of Harrison's packages didn't make it to their intended destination. A neighbor saw someone take the boxes from her porch and take off.

"Anytime you have something stolen from you, you feel a little violated," said Harrison.

The Postal Service doesn't have exact figures on mail theft in the valley. They say cases seem to be on the rise in this economy.

Mailboxes have been broken into, not just by people's homes but sometimes in post offices, themselves. That's why the Postal Service is advising people to pick up mail from their boxes every day. When it comes to dropping off mail, security might have to trump convenience. Harrison is learning that.

"If I can spot my postman, I'm going to hand them to him personally. If not, I'll have to make a trip to the post office later today," said Harrison.