"Thieves are fishing envelopes out of street mailboxes, then chemically altering checks so they can be cashed under different names. Officers are pushing simple but specific precautions."
"In mailbox fishing, thieves lower a sticky line or a hook into a curbside mailbox or blue USPS collection box, then pull up whatever they can snag: checks, gift cards and any other valuable mail."
"Using common household chemicals, thieves erase the payee and amount fields while leaving the original signature in place, then rewrite the checks and deposit or cash them."
"Officials recommend avoiding residential mailboxes and blue USPS collection boxes for checks whenever possible to reduce the risk of theft."
Brooklyn residents face a surge in mail theft, specifically 'mailbox fishing' and 'check washing.' Thieves extract checks from mailboxes and alter them for cashing. The NYPD's 70th Precinct advises residents to take precautions, such as depositing checks at Post Offices, using permanent ink, shredding voided checks, and monitoring bank accounts. The resurgence of these low-tech scams has prompted law enforcement to issue warnings and provide specific safety measures to prevent financial loss.
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