"SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- When it's time to pay a bill, many of us still write a check and mail it. But is that safe anymore? Postal inspectors say mail theft is rising fast -- and thieves are going after your checks. The phrase "the check is in the mail" has new meaning for two South Bay homeowners, who were among the latest to pay the price of mail theft. They dropped their property tax payments in the mail as usual. And the checks were cashed right away -- but not by the tax collector."
"The check image showed a very different check than the one Pham wrote. Criminals had stolen it from the mail, then used a pen to squeeze letters between the ones Pham wrote to form a new name. "They just -- they kind of fit their name into those letters," Pham said. That person cashed her check, making off with her $2,400. "Not only did I have to pay the property tax again, I paid, like, all that late fees," she said."
Mail theft is rising and criminals are targeting mailed checks, including property tax payments dropped in public mailboxes. Stolen checks are being altered by inserting letters to change payee names, then cashed by fraudsters. Victims often discover cleared payments only after receiving delinquency notices and may have to repay taxes plus late fees. Banks may deny refunds when fraud is reported too late, leaving victims out-of-pocket. Postal inspectors warn of increased incidents and advise caution when mailing payments to prevent similar losses.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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