topic Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks in Community Chat

Be Careful Mailing Checks

Isobel Archer — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:03:06 GMT

We sent a birthday card containing a check - deposited in a mail box outside the post office - on Sun Apr 3. On Monday Apr 4, the check was altered (different payee and with a significant increase in amount) and cashed.

We reported this to the bank, the Postal Investigative Service and to the local police.

I read an article where theft from mail boxes is increasing at an alarming rate. Apparently, it is safer to mail inside the post office.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Nataliesgramma — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:11:27 GMT

Thats why I do my bill paying online and now I send money for Birthdays and Holidays through my bank.....

Hasn't happened to me...but has to friends I know.....

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Isobel Archer — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:20:59 GMT

@Nataliesgramma wrote:
Thats why I do my bill paying online and now I send money for Birthdays and Holidays through my bank.....

Hasn't happened to me...but has to friends I know.....

We do online banking too. I haven't tried Venmo, but I have used Paypal to send money to someone's account. That may be the way to go in the future.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Eileen in Virginia — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:22:44 GMT

This happened to us a few years ago with a bill we put into the drive-up mailbox in the Post Office's parking lot. While we pay most of our bills online, there are still a few that we pay with checks. Now we put any "mailers" in the mail slot inside the Post Office lobby. While the mailboxes in our neighborhood are in locations that are readily visible during the day, there isn't much activity near them at night, making them easy targets for thieves.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

meallen616 — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:47:11 GMT

@Isobel Archer,

Thanks for posting this!

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

KCDiva — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:53:41 GMT

I don't mail cash or checks in the mail anymore. I use Venmo. It's kind of sad you can't mail someone a birthday card with money in it like we used to. My daughter's mailbox at her apartment complex in CA has been broken into twice since they've lived there. They are getting a PO Box. Since my family has spread out recently and we all don't live in the same state anymore we've had to get creative when giving money for birthdays or Christmas.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

PINKdogWOOD — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:54:42 GMT

@Isobel Archer I'm saying this to you and to all who may read your post and mine now.

It is now totally UNSAFE to use the area stand-alone mail boxes. While this is convenient for many of us, it is no longer safe to use these boxes.

People out there among us think it's okay to break into these boxes and steal items and packages we put in them.

Last fall I guess it was, I went to the closest USPS in our neighborhood, there's a box right outside this building to drop things into. What did I find? This box had a yellow police tape around it, it had been damaged and stuff had been torn, ripped open and stolen - remnants were still on the ground. From that point forwrd I now take the time to drive to and go inside with everything I mail out albeit a letter, a card, a bill or ten, and packages. I also stand in line to get a receipt with tracking number for every package I mail.

Those stealing fools will NOT get their hands on anything i mail out. Do not use those boxes, yes it may on occasion be a hassle but at least I know someone is not stealing my stuff.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Buffalogal47 — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:59:14 GMT

I pay most of my bills online. There are 2 that I mail checks for and so far, no problem. My apartment complex has a mailbox with apartment numbers only and a narrow slot for outgoing mail. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to get into the box. I have used Venmo on occasion to send money for birthdays, etc. No problems with that either.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Pecky — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:06:18 GMT

I honestly can't remember the last time I mailed out a check. I do it online through my credit union. I also use Venmo if I need to send someone money. There are many out there who don't feel safe with doing banking online but it's now not safe to send by mail. It's very sad how this world is going.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

SeaMaiden — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:08:28 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:

Apparently, it is safer to mail inside the post office.

@Isobel Archer This is not a new discovery...I would never put mail in an outside box. Most people should take a few minutes and walk a few steps to put outgoing mail inside the mail drop in the post office. Lesson learned I guess. Seems obvious to me in today's economy of theft and robbery of mail.....

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

proudlyfromNJ — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:09:46 GMT

@Buffalogal47 wrote:
I pay most of my bills online. There are 2 that I mail checks for and so far, no problem. My apartment complex has a mailbox with apartment numbers only and a narrow slot for outgoing mail. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to get into the box. I have used Venmo on occasion to send money for birthdays, etc. No problems with that either.

@Buffalogal47 Ours outside the PO also have the slim slot to put the mail in.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Isobel Archer — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:15:12 GMT

@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
@Buffalogal47 wrote:
I pay most of my bills online. There are 2 that I mail checks for and so far, no problem. My apartment complex has a mailbox with apartment numbers only and a narrow slot for outgoing mail. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to get into the box. I have used Venmo on occasion to send money for birthdays, etc. No problems with that either.
@Buffalogal47 Ours outside the PO also have the slim slot to put the mail in.

Don't think the mail slot size has anything to do with it. The mailbox has to be opened to retrieve all the mail - and apparently thieves have figured out how to do it.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Isobel Archer — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:22:32 GMT

@SeaMaiden wrote:
@Isobel Archer wrote:

Apparently, it is safer to mail inside the post office.
@Isobel Archer This is not a new discovery...I would never put mail in an outside box. Most people should take a few minutes and walk a few steps to put outgoing mail inside the mail drop in the post office. Lesson learned I guess. Seems obvious to me in today's economy of theft and robbery of mail.....

Well it also seem obvious that personal mail boxes are at risk as well. Not sure what to do about that.

While I know you didn't mean it that way, it seems more and more, we just shrug off increasing crime and tell people it's their fault if they are victims.

In fact, when I called the Postal Investigative Service, I said I wanted to report theft of mail. Her first response - in what sounded like a condescending tone - was - Oh you didn't receive something and you think someone stole it? I said no - this was definitely theft of mail and reported what happened. She then agreed that it was.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Othereeeen — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:23:06 GMT

Great advice.....criminals probably have a written schedule to remind them of holiday etc that are coming up, and in rural areas, they know where the older residents live on the road....( you would not beleive the weirdos I see cruising our rural backroad area ....)

For instance....graduations are soon coming up...then weddings in spring...gold mine for thieves mining mailboxes...

Yes it's a pain to park, pay the parking meter by our post office, and trudge inside, but for the very few things I mail a check for today, it's worth it....

The other problem is if you pay your credit cards off each month, the card companies keeps sending offers in the mail....even if you opt out, they keep coming ( about as useless as trying to opt out of those robocalls....).

Thieves will try ANYTHING today to get money from the unsuspecting. I can only imagine the nonsense these non stop callers to both my landline and cell phone want to barrage me with.

And don't get me started on my SPAM email box. Disgusting and prolific garbage every day.

Ladies one more thing....with gasoline and food costs so high, don't bring your whole financial life to the store or gas station with you. ONE card is enough( an record at home WHICH card in case it is stolen) and a little cash in case someone sticks a gun in your face you have SOMETHING to give them in that one second it might make a difference.

And if they snatch your purse, you won't spend months trying to recall what was IN your purse and all the stuff you have to cancel, notify, etc.

Watch your cart too. Someone might want to steal that too as you wheel it to your car. Especially if they note what you're buying while IN the store. Some folks don't have to worry about food costs as much as others, and a full cart can be as tempting as a stuffed purse....

It's RIDICULOUS today.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

SilleeMee — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:23:58 GMT

I never use my home mailbox to mail anything important including mail containing checks. One time I sent a check to the DMV to renew my car plates and they never got it. So now I pay the extra online fee to process my credit card payment to them instead. Sending them a paper check is free but for credit card payments they charge a fee.

I use PayPal to send funds to friends who live far away.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Shelbelle — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:24:33 GMT

I pay my bills online but I often leave my outgoing mail in my box on my porch for my mail carrier to take, works well for me. I dont leave it on days when no one is home but only when I am home to check every so often that it is still in the box.

Also if you are going to leave it in a stand alone box, best not to leave it in there overnite, put it in in daylight hours when you know it will soon be picked up by the post office

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

proudlyfromNJ — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:26:35 GMT

@Isobel Archer wrote:
@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
@Buffalogal47 wrote:
I pay most of my bills online. There are 2 that I mail checks for and so far, no problem. My apartment complex has a mailbox with apartment numbers only and a narrow slot for outgoing mail. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to get into the box. I have used Venmo on occasion to send money for birthdays, etc. No problems with that either.
@Buffalogal47 Ours outside the PO also have the slim slot to put the mail in.
Don't think the mail slot size has anything to do with it. The mailbox has to be opened to retrieve all the mail - and apparently thieves have figured out how to do it.

@Isobel Archer Thank you for that info. I thought they were stealing from where the mail is put into the box.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

LindaSal — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:28:30 GMT

If people would only get rightly prosecuted for the crimes they commit, this would not be such a problem. Messing with the US mail is a federal offense.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Linda0215 — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:31:26 GMT

This is nothing new. It's been going on for years. When thieves see an envelope that looks like it might be a birthday card, they assume there is cash in it and it is stolen. It's even been an ongoing problem within the Postal Service itself. What I don't understand is the brazen altering of the check. Shame on the bank that cashed it. I work for a bank and the tellers are thoroughly trained to look out for anything that looks slightly suspicious. Protocol is the teller should bring it to the attention of the branch manager for investigation. That teller would have been fired if this happened at my bank. No questions asked. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Crooks work overtime trying to cheat the public. They should just get a job.

Re: Be Careful Mailing Checks

Isobel Archer — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 14:12:14 GMT

@Linda0215 wrote:
This is nothing new. It's been going on for years. When thieves see an envelope that looks like it might be a birthday card, they assume there is cash in it and it is stolen. It's even been an ongoing problem within the Postal Service itself. What I don't understand is the brazen altering of the check. Shame on the bank that cashed it. I work for a bank and the tellers are thoroughly trained to look out for anything that looks slightly suspicious. Protocol is the teller should bring it to the attention of the branch manager for investigation. That teller would have been fired if this happened at my bank. No questions asked. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Crooks work overtime trying to cheat the public. They should just get a job.

The deposit was done online. Not sure what kind of security they have for that. Our bank is BOA. It was deposited into a TD bank account. BOA is investigating and expects to retrieve their (our) money.

The article I read said there are ways to remove the ink from the check and rewrite it. The online check in our bank statement shows the original signature - but the date, payee and amount are all printed in a clearly different hand - but there is no other evidence that anything was altered. You can't see any erasure or other indication of change.