The USPS alerted last month that it has seen an increase in attacks on mail carriers and incidents of mail fraud. In the first half of fiscal year 2023 alone, 305 mail carriers were robbed, a pace that could exceed the 412 thefts of the previous year. At the same time, fraudsters are also targeting residential mailboxes and USPS blue collection boxes, according to the postal service.
The rise in crime against mail carriers and mailboxes also increases the risk of theft of checks sent by mail. In Milwaukee last month, a gang was dismantled. The suspects allegedly used USPS master keys that open mail collection boxes to steal mail, including over 900 checks.
The theft issues have led the USPS to advise people to avoid dropping mail in collection boxes or leaving it in their own mailboxes for the mail to pick up. Instead, the agency recommends that customers leave mail inside the local post office.
Why is mail theft on the rise?
The USPS believes that mail theft is increasing as part of a national trend of “increased crime rates.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported about 300,000 complaints of mail theft in 2021, more than double the total from the previous year.
What can happen if my check is stolen?
Thieves use a technique called “check washing” to steal your money. This involves using chemicals that erase your writing on the check, such as the name of the payee and the amount of the check. Once the check is blank, they can fill in new information, including the amount.
In one case, a man sent a $42 check to pay a phone bill and was shocked when $7,000 was cashed, paid to someone he had never heard of. In another case, nearly 60 people were arrested last year in Southern California on charges of committing over $5 million in fraud involving checks from 750 people.
How many people still use checks?
It is true that the use of checks is declining, but Americans still issued 3.4 billion checks in 2022. This is down from 19 billion checks in 1990, but still gives criminals plenty of opportunities for fraud.
Source: CBS News