Thieves steal checks, money right out of mailboxes
Mail arrives at your home every day, but do you know if your mail is being tampered with, or even stolen?
Two thieves were shown depositing checks that were not written to them. Postal inspectors say they began tracking the duo after investigating complaints from customers that were not receiving mail.
"When we looked at that, those checks going into this account matched up with the address and names of the victims of the people that say they had not received mail or the mailbox had been pried open," said
US Postal Inspector Adam Fascio.
Armed with photos of the thieves depositing those checks, authorities began the process of trying to identify them.
"We then put up 'Wanted' posters in local post offices and we got a hit," Fascio said. "We got someone that came in and said, 'Hey, I know this guy.'"
Both men shown in the ATM photos were taken into custody. Inspectors said the lesson here is simple: keep track of your mail, when it arrives or when it's missing.
"Be mindful. If you don't receive mail for a couple of days or if you notice your mailbox might be damaged, report it to the post office," Fascio said.
Both men were convicted on grand larceny.
To protect yourself, try not to have any checks or money sent to you. If you do, check your mailbox often until you get the funds.
Also, don't put checks in your mailbox to be sent out. Instead, drop them off directly at the post office.
