People in Needham, Massachusetts, have been urged to avoid using the outdoor mailboxes at the post office on Great Plain Avenue, after police said mail was stolen in a check-washing scheme.
Authorities in Needham said they responded to the post office early on Monday morning, and said they found letters on the ground near the mailbox. Police believe that the mail thieves were stealing mail in search of checks that they could "wash."
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Washing checks refers to the criminal process of erasing ink from checks, and then rewriting the payee and check amount to fraudulently withdraw money from the victim's account.
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Needham police have urged people who used the mailboxes at the Great Plain post office to check to see if their checks made it to the right people. If they haven't, or appeared to be delayed, authorities say to put a stop payment on the account and also to close the bank account entirely.
Police also ask that people not use the outdoor mailboxes at that location, and to just bring their mail inside the post office during the hours that it's open.
Anyone who thinks they are the victim of fraud should call Needham police and also their bank.
The United States Postal Inspection Service says that it recovers over $1 billion annually in counterfeit checks and money orders.
The agency — which acts as the internal law enforcement of the post office — recommends that people deposit their mail right before pickup, get their mail often and have it held at the post office if they will be away for a long period of time.
Needham police said that the mail thieves were gone by the time they arrived, and did not indicate whether anyone has reported losing money in the incident.
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