Mike and Stewart bought the $20 alarm for their mailbox so they would know when their postal worker had delivered the day's goods to their Cooper City home.
On Friday, it helped to make sure their goodies - and identities - weren't taken.
Broward Sheriff's deputies arrested two men who they believe combed affluent neighborhoods and snatched outgoing mail before postal workers arrived.
Daniel Llera, 25, and 27-year-old Yasell Viamontes were charged with multiple counts of petty theft, but could face identity theft charges for the scheme.
The two men were caught after they took the mail from Mike and Stewart, who did not want their last names published.
"Great investment," Mike said. "It paid for itself today."
Around 11 a.m. the mailbox alarm alerted the couple something was wrong. The postal worker usually doesn't come that early. When they went outside, the suspects' black pick up truck was pulling off with the outgoing mail.
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A short time later, a deputy pulled the truck over and found a cab filled with letters and bill payments from various communities.
"I'm sure there would've been a lot of damage to a lot of people, both in terms of time and money," Stweart said.
A U.S. Postal investigator said thefts like this usually are just the beginning of problems for the victims.
Thieves use the information to not only cash checks, but can take the vital info to steal identities. He recommended paying bills online or, if the bill has to be mailed, taking it to the Post Office directly.
