These thieves raiding our mail are also stealing the identities and sometimes life savings of the householders.

Thirty eight-year-old postie Matthew Gugel was recently arrested after police found 5,000 stolen letters and parcels at his home.

He routinely knocked off early from his postal duties and filled the rooms of his house with the daily mail he was supposed to deliver.

Another Australia Post employee, Tracey Taylor, ransacked parcels and envelopes at the Toowoomba mail centre containing birthday cards with cash, or instant Lotto tickets, and pocketed the loot.

"I regret doing it," said Taylor.

"I'm being humiliated because I got caught, and I lost my job."

Former Australia Post employees turned whistle blowers have said mail is being stolen regularly, and they say Australia Post doesn't want us to know.

"A lot of the time when posties are caught red handed they are more likely asked to resign than face prosecution," says a whistle blower.

"I've seen credit card fraud, and mail two years old."

Australia Post Communications Manager Scott McIntyre says the figures are disappointing.

"With over 30,000 employees there's only a small minority doing the wrong thing," said McIntyre.

"Most theft occurs at the home letterbox because people don't lock their boxes."

Along with your mail, there is a good chance you could also lose your savings. Highly organised crime gangs are actively targetting home letter boxes all around the nation.

This week, a multi-million dollar racket allegedly headed by two unassuming characters was smashed by a police strike force just.

Police believe they stole mail and used it to create high quality fake IDs, and with these, they allegedly opened bank accounts to launder money.

Forensic Accountant Brett Warfield warns the problem is going to escalate, because as these gangs become more sophisticated, so does their ability to penetrate organisations.

"We have had instances where people have started getting credit cards in someone else's name, as well as personal loans," said Warfield.

"They have even organised mortgages on their house they did not know about."

Many people are unable to speak about their disappearing mail, because Australia Post forces them to sign confidentiality agreements if they want a refund.