An Omaha businessman says his curiosity over a lack of mail stopped a problem from getting worse but he's concerned that he might now be a victim of identity theft.

On three straight delivery days, Carey Smith checked his mailbox and found it empty.

His suspicions sent him to the post office where he discovered that someone, possibly an identity thief, had taken an official change of address kit, filled out his address and diverted his mail.

Smith doesn't know how much of his personal information has been diverted or what an identify thief might do with it so he's canceling credit cards and contacting credit bureaus.

Postal inspector Dave Margritz can pull up the change of address information which lists where the victim's mail has been diverted.

Margritz says, "If someone attempts it through this method, it gives us a lot more leads because their mail is being forwarded to a particular address and we can catch the person a lot quicker than someone randomly stealing from boxes."

Anyone can walk into a post office and pick up a change of address packet then submit it with few questions asked or you file a change of address form on line without proof that's it's your mail being moved; only a warning that mail fraud is a federal offense.

Carey Smith is shocked how easily an identity thief diverted his mail.

He says, "Considering how easy this is to steal someone's ID, just go on a Web site or fill out a card, I think it might be prudent to tighten up things."

Margritz says customers like the convenience of the system and, "it's easier to deal with the few problems that do arise than change the whole system."

Unlike mailbox theft, with no leads, postal inspectors have an address to go on and mail fraud carries a five-year prison sentence.

The post office sends out a change of address confirmation but it might not arrive in time to alert you that your mail has been diverted.

If you don't get regularly scheduled mail for two consecutive days, contact your area post office or postal inspectors.